The united front
by Phen82
Summary: Harry's 6th year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry introduces him to new challenges, new friends and a new understanding of his family history...
1. Chapter 1 Privet Drive

Chapter 1 - Privet Drive  
  
Harry was lying on the bed in his room staring at the wall. He didn't feel like doing anything. He looked around at his room. He was numb. There were two reasons why he was feeling numb. The first was the fact that his godfather Sirius, the only father figure he had ever known, was now dead. Killed by his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, who worked for Lord Voldemort. Voldemort was a wizard. An evil wizard. He was the reason for Harry's emptiness. He was the reason that Harry now lived in number 4 Privet Drive with relatives who hated him instead of with his parents. He was the reason why Harry now had a scar in the shape of a lightening bolt on his head. Harry had gotten the scar the night that Voldemort had killed his parents and had tried to kill him when he was only a year old. And the relatives that he lived with, the Dursleys, hated him because he too was a wizard, though not evil like Voldemort. He had been face to face with Voldemort 4 times in the past 5 years he had been at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
  
Harry sighed deeply. Now he had yet another reason to hate Voldemort. It was because of Voldemort that Sirius was now dead. Voldemort had lured Harry to the department of mysteries so that Harry could retrieve a prophecy for him. Harry remembered talking to Professor Dumbledore about the prophecy a little over a month ago. The prophecy was the other reason that he felt numb. The prophecy foretold that at some point in his life, Harry would either have to murder, or be murdered by Voldemort. He shuddered at the thought and got up off his bed and walked over to the table which sat across the room. He picked up a piece of parchment that he had received the previous day from the desk and re-read it for what seemed to be the hundredth time.  
  
Dear Harry,  
Sorry you've had to wait so long. We'll come by and pick you up soon. Be waiting, but not impatient. It may take some time to organise.  
  
Remus  
  
Harry sighed as he put down the letter. He had been waiting for a month, but it didn't matter to him anymore. Last year he had been furious because he hadn't received word from anyone and had been left alone with the Dursleys. Now it didn't matter. Harry had so far been pretty much left to his own devices the whole time he had been here, and spent most of his time in his room mourning the loss of Sirius. His aunt had surprised him by coming in to ask if he was alright, but had not stayed long because Harry didn't feel much like talking. Downstairs, Harry heard the buzz of the doorbell. He heard some muffled voices a few moments later.  
  
"Harry" his aunt called from the bottom of the stairs.  
  
He sighed and walked down to see what she wanted. Harry seemed, if it were possible, even more skinny than he had been the previous year, owing to the fact that he had grown taller and had not been eating much of late. He was very pale from spending so much time indoors and the overall effect was that he looked quite sickly. Petunia had been much more giving in the food department this holidays, but Harry simply refused to eat.  
  
When he finally reached the bottom of the stairs he shifted his gaze from the floor to the two women standing at the foot of the stairs. One was Petunia, and the other was Mrs Figg, the old woman who had babysat for Harry when he was younger. He had found out the previous year that she was a squib (a non-magical person with magical parents). Mrs Figg looked up at him sympathetically. Harry figured that Dumbledore must have explained what had happened at the ministry.  
  
"Mrs Figg would like to know if you could help her with some odd jobs today Harry" Petunia said, almost kindly.  
  
Harry looked up at her for a moment and as their eyes met, Harry saw concern behind her eyes. He was surprised by this. The only other time he had seen that concern was when he had informed her that Voldemort had returned the previous summer.  
  
Harry nodded finally and followed Mrs Figg silently out the door. As soon as they were out of earshot from the Dursleys, Mrs Figg turned to him.  
  
"Are you alright Harry?" she asked, concerned. "You look a little peaky" Harry nodded mutely.  
  
"Have they been feeding you properly? You look like you could do with a good meal" she said, looking back at the Dursleys house with a scowl.  
  
"Yes they've been feeding me. I'm just not all that hungry of late" Harry said in an empty voice.  
  
Mrs Figg looked at him sympathetically again, but did not say anything else. They walked in silence the rest of the way. Mrs Figg opened the door of her house and let Harry go in first. Harry gasped when he walked into her lounge room.  
  
Standing in the middle of the room, beaming at him was Remus and Tonks.  
  
"Wotcher Harry!" Tonks cried and ran over to give him a warm hug.  
  
Harry smiled in spite of himself. He had locked himself up in his room for the past few weeks and had to admit that it was good to see some friendly faces again.  
  
"Hello Harry" said Remus calmly, walking over to shake his hand when Tonks had let him go at last.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Remus asked concerned.  
  
"Fine" came Harry's mechanical reply.  
  
Remus and Tonks both looked at his sympathetically. It made him feel uncomfortable.  
  
"What are you both doing here?" he asked, trying to get off the subject of himself so that they would stop staring at him like that.  
  
"We've come to take you to the headquarters again. The Weasleys and Hermione are already there waiting for you" Remus replied with a small smile.  
  
"What about my things?" Harry asked.  
  
"Oh, don't worry about that for the moment. Tonks and I will be back later to get your things" Remus assured him. Harry smiled.  
  
"Right then, we'd best be off. Thanks Arabella, we'll see you soon" he said to Mrs Figg who smiled and waved as they left the house.  
  
They got into a car that was parked out the front, with Tonks in the drivers seat. She explained to Harry that her father, who was muggle born, had insisted that she learn to drive. She had changed her hair to brown, a much more conservative colour. Harry guessed that it was because she didn't want to draw too much attention to them in a muggle residential area. Harry was glad of this. He didn't feel he could stand anyone else staring at him.  
  
They reached Grimmauld place by nightfall, and Tonks and Remus dropped him off.  
  
"We have to go and do some things for the order tonight Harry, so just go inside. Mrs Weasley is expecting you. We'll be back in a few hours" Remus said with a smile.  
  
Harry smiled back feebly and bid farewell to his two friends before walking over to where number 12 should be. Once again he thought about the address and the house sprang up, pushing the two other houses aside. Harry entered the house quietly and closed the door behind him carefully so as not to make any noise. He noticed that the portrait of Sirius' mother was still hanging on the wall behind a curtain. He walked carefully down to the dining room, so as not to wake her up.  
  
It felt strange being here again and knowing that Sirius wouldn't be here. That he wasn't coming back. Harry sighed heavily as he opened the door to the dining room. There were two screeches as he walked in and he found himself enveloped in a hug first from Hermione, then from Mrs Weasley, who had managed to get from the kitchen to the doorway, despite all the obstacles, in a matter of moments. Harry grinned as they finally let him go and greeted the other Weasleys, who were much more conservative than Hermione and Mrs Weasley in their own greetings. They were all seated around the table about to eat dinner. Mrs Weasley pushed Harry down into a chair next to Ginny and put a plate of food in front of him. Harry smiled at her, but didn't eat much. He was thinking about Sirius. It must have shown on his face, because Ginny reached out and put a reassuring hand on his arm and smiled sympathetically at him. He forced a smile in return and looked away quickly. 


	2. Chapter 2 The Uninvited Guest

Chapter 2 - The uninvited Guest.  
  
A figure in dark, flowing robes and a thick, hooded black cloak walked down Grimmauld Place. It was a woman. She was holding in one hand a black carry case, in the other she had a wand. She muttered something under her breath and waved her hand, which held her wand in such a way that no one that might have been looking out of the windows of one of the houses on the street would be able to see it. All of the lamps in the street suddenly died and the entire street plunged into darkness. The only light was given by the half moon shining through the trees and casting eerie shadows on the road. The woman gave a small nod, having completed the first of a list of tasks she had set herself. She walked along next to the houses, reading out the numbers on each of the letter boxes.  
  
"Number 10" she mumbled. "Number 11. Number 13?"  
  
She stopped, looking puzzled for a moment, then turning back to number 11 and staring for a moment.  
  
"Odd" she mumbled, pulling down her hood to reveal long, dark hair and a very pale face.  
  
She knew it had to be here. She stood in between number 11 and number 13, concentrating hard on her destination. Sure enough, a house appeared out of nowhere, pushing the two houses beside it out of the way as it steadily grew to a normal size. The woman smiled and made her way to the front door. She looked over her shoulder to make sure that she was not being followed. When she was sure that there was no one around, she tried to open the door. It was locked. She muttered something under her breath and the door sprang open. She stepped inside the house.  
  
She could hear voices coming from inside the house. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she closed the door loudly behind her. The voices from the other room ceased immediately as the curtain which covered the portrait of Mrs Black flew open and the portrait began to scream.  
  
"FILTHY HALF BREEDS! SCUM! VER-."  
  
Mrs Black stopped suddenly and looked at the woman who was standing in the entrance hallway. The dark haired woman smiled at the portrait.  
  
"There are half breeds here! Get them out!" Mrs Black demanded in a lower tone than before. The woman smiled again and pulled the curtain back over the portrait. She heard hushed voices from the other room and frowned, pulling out her wand as she headed towards the room where the voices were coming from.  
  
***  
  
Fred, George and Ron began talking about quidditch and Harry joined in, wanting to stop thinking about Sirius for a little while. They stopped talking suddenly when they heard the portrait of Mrs Black begin to scream again and Mr Weasley jumped off his seat and headed for the door.  
  
"FILTHY HALF BREEDS! SCUM! VER-."  
  
Mr Weasley stopped and looked around at the others. He was now pale. The portrait had never screamed before when there was no one in the entrance hallway, and it had certainly never stopped screaming of its own accord.  
  
"Harry did you close the door when you came in?" he asked urgently. Harry nodded, eyes wide with shock.  
  
"Could it be someone from the order?" Mrs Weasley asked in a frightened whisper. Mr Weasley shook his head.  
  
"They aren't due back for a while yet" he replied, also in a whisper.  
  
"Wands out" Mrs Weasley said quietly to the older boys.  
  
Mr Weasley nodded to the others and they took out their wands. They heard footsteps coming towards the dining room and pointed their wands at the door. The door opened in a flash and before any of them could do anything they heard a woman scream  
  
"Expelliarmus"  
  
All of their wands jumped out of their hands and clattered to the floor on the other side of the room. The woman that had cast the spell walked in, her wand pointed out defensively in front of her. Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys stared at the stranger who had just walked into the room. She looked to be in her late 20's or early thirties. She had long dark hair which fell loosely down her back. Her face was naturally pale, but looked even more pallid because she was dressed completely in black. Her deep brown eyes swept across each of their faces. The locked with Harry's for a moment and he had the uncanny notion that he had seen them before somewhere. They looked familiar to him somehow, but he didn't know where he had seen them. He couldn't remember ever having seen her before, only her eyes. Fear gripped him as she looked at the others, her wand still raised. He wondered if she was a death eater. He had seen many deatheaters eyes and not their faces.  
  
"How did you get in here?" Mr Weasley demanded.  
  
The woman's gaze shifted to him and she pointed her wand at his chest. Her expression was cold, almost menacing.  
  
"I was about to ask you the same question" she said in a cold, even tone. She raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Who are you?"  
  
They all looked at her strangely, but none of them responded immediately as they were distracted by Kreacher, who had just entered the room and was muttering something under his breath. He looked up at the newcomer and his eyes widened.  
  
"Mistress has returned!" he exclaimed gleefully, running to her feet and bowing. He picked up the bottom of her robes and held them lovingly as he looked up at her with adoration in his eyes. She smiled down at him.  
  
"Hello Kreacher" she said softly.  
  
He looked happier than Harry had ever seen him.  
  
"Would Mistress like something to eat?" he asked eagerly.  
  
"No, no Kreacher. Go and get my bed ready and put my things away in my room" she said, passing him her bag, which he took willingly and bowed.  
  
"Yes Mistress! Good, kind Mistress!" he said happily and left without any of his usual mutterings. The others in the room looked at the woman completely lost for words. They didn't know what to make of this new development.  
  
"Well?" the woman said impatiently. "You haven't answered my question. Who are you all, and more importantly, what are you doing in my house?"  
  
"This isn't your house! This is Sirius' house!" Harry yelled angrily, he was now on his feet. There was colour in his cheeks now from the anger boiling inside him. The woman turned to him with her head slightly tilted.  
  
"Sirius?" she asked him. "You know Sirius?"  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"I had thought that he was on the run" she said, her expression lightening a little.  
  
She lowered her wand slightly.  
  
"Where is he? I need to speak to him" she asked.  
  
The Weasleys, Harry and Hermione all looked at her strangely.  
  
"Who are you?" asked Mr Weasley.  
  
The woman turned back to him and scowled.  
  
"You have not given me your name yet, why should I give you mine?" she demanded.  
  
Mr Weasley turned slightly red. He put his hand out to her politely and muttered  
  
"Arthur Weasley".  
  
She looked at his hand for a moment, as if trying to determine whether it was safe to shake it. She took his hand hesitantly and shook it slowly.  
  
"Call me Sera" she said simply. "Where is Sirius?"  
  
"He's dead" Mr Weasley said softly.  
  
Sera, though she was already quite pale, lost all the colour in her cheeks. She grabbed onto the doorframe to stop herself from falling.  
  
"D-dead?" she stammered weakly, her eyes wide with shock.  
  
Mr Weasley was worried that the woman might collapse and so he pulled a chair out from the table for her to sit on. He led her over to the chair and she sank into it slowly, putting her head into her hands.  
  
"How do you know Sirius?" asked Harry softly.  
  
She looked up at him, her eyes swiftly taking in the scar on his forehead.  
  
"You're Harry Potter aren't you?" she said softly. "You're his godson"  
  
Harry's eyes narrowed a little and he nodded slightly.  
  
"I'm Sirius' sister" she said softly.  
  
Everyone at the table looked stunned. It was clear that none of them were aware that Sirius Black had a sister at all. Harry looked into her eyes and knew suddenly why they looked so familiar. They were exactly like Sirius' eyes, in the photo he had of his parents wedding. Before Sirius had gone to Azkaban.  
  
"How do we know you aren't an imposter? Sirius never said anything about a sister" Ginny said curtly.  
  
Sera gave a bark like laugh that was much like Sirius' except that the voice behind it was higher pitched and more feminine.  
  
"So the fact that I knew where this place was, despite it's being hidden I might add, the fact that I shut up the portrait of my mother and the behaviour of Kreacher isn't enough proof?" she asked. Ginny looked a little uncomfortable at this.  
  
"It's ok. She's telling the truth" Harry said softly.  
  
Ginny started at this and stared at Harry for a moment, but didn't say anything. Sera also looked at him for a moment. Their eyes met and Harry saw pain in her eyes, similar to the pain that he himself had felt for the entire summer. He smiled slightly and she gave a small smile in return.  
  
"You really are like your parents aren't you Harry?" she said softly.  
  
Harry's eyes widened at this, but before he could respond, they turned towards the door, where they heard soft voices and footsteps approaching. 


	3. Chapter 3 The Order of the Phoenix

Chapter 3 - The order of the Phoenix.  
  
Remus and Tonks walked into the room a few moments later. They were whispering about something, but stopped dead when they saw Sera. Both of them went slightly pale.  
  
"Seraphim?" Remus asked incredulously.  
  
The next few events happened so fast that Harry wasn't sure exactly how they occurred. Seraphim was on her feet with her wand pointed at a now very green looking Remus. Tonks had fainted dead next to him and Hermione was standing over her trying to determine whether she was alright. Mrs Weasley was very pale and making her way past the others to get to Tonks also. Sera seemed oblivious to the fact that Tonks had fainted and was speaking very coldly to Remus.  
  
"Don't forget what happened last time you called me that Remus" she hissed angrily.  
  
Remus had his hands in the air, as if she was holding a gun to his face. He looked terrified.  
  
"I'm sorry Sera, I just wasn't expecting you to be here" he said quickly.  
  
Her facial expression softened a little and she dropped her wand to her side. Remus let out a small sigh of relief and Harry noticed that his face changed back to a normal colour. Tonks was still on the floor with Mrs Weasley and Hermione fussing over her.  
  
"Where have you been all this time Sera? We all thought you were dead" he added softly.  
  
"That's what I wanted everyone to think. After the. shall we say unpleasantness? I went into hiding. I thought it best for everyone at the time" she explained. Remus nodded thoughtfully.  
  
"Then why come back? Why now?" he asked.  
  
Sera reached into the pocket of her robes. She withdrew a piece of parchment from her robes and unfolded it. It looked to Harry, like a news article from the daily prophet. As she passed it to Remus, Harry saw a picture of Cornelius Fudge and the words "He who must not be named Returns". He recognised it as the article that Hermione had read to them in the hospital wing before the holidays started.  
  
"A little too hard to ignore, wouldn't you say?" she said softly.  
  
Remus looked up from the article and stared at her for a moment.  
  
"So why did you take so long?" he asked. "This article was printed over a month ago"  
  
She sighed at this and paused for a moment.  
  
"My hideout is quite far from here" she said carefully, as if trying not to disclose too much information. "When I do occasionally get the daily prophet, it's from a friend who I only see about once a month. I only saw this article 2 weeks ago. It took a while to organise my departure, and the travel time involved. It took quite a while"  
  
Remus nodded again thoughtfully.  
  
"So why did you come here then?" he asked.  
  
"It's my house, why shouldn't I be here?" she asked pointedly. "More to the point, what are you all doing here?"  
  
"This has been the hideout for the new order for the past year" he replied immediately.  
  
Everyone else in the room gasped at his forwardness, their mouths dropping in shock. He turned to them.  
  
"It's alright! She was associated with the order last time" he explained.  
  
The rest looked nervous at this piece of information, but remained silent.  
  
"A year?" she asked, looking shocked. "If I had known I would have come sooner"  
  
Remus nodded.  
  
"So do I take it that you'll join us this time also?" he asked softly.  
  
She looked up at him hesitantly for a moment, before nodding resolutely, her face set determinedly. Remus felt a twinge inside him when he saw her expression and turned away. Sera was so much like her brother that it hurt to look at her.  
  
"But she wasn't in the picture Moody showed me last year" Harry said suddenly.  
  
Remus thought back to the picture.  
  
"No, she wouldn't have been either. She joined the order after the picture was taken, as did Severus Snape" he said.  
  
Harry looked stunned. At this moment, Tonks woke up. She looked over at all the faces. When her head turned to Sera, she screamed, but didn't faint again. Sera sighed.  
  
"Hello Tonks" she said, in a dry tone.  
  
"But you're dead!" Tonks whispered, her eyes wide.  
  
Sera gave a small laugh.  
  
"Not quite. It would take a little more than that to kill a Black" she said in an amused tone.  
  
Tonks smiled weakly. Sera's eyes became sad again. She turned back to Remus.  
  
"Sirius" she said. "How?"  
  
Remus sighed heavily and explained what had happened in the ministry. Harry felt the numbness seep through him again like ice to his heart as he heard the story, told in great detail, by Remus. By the end of it, there was a murderous rage in Sera's eyes.  
  
"I'll kill her" she whispered angrily. "I'm going to kill Bellatrix!"  
  
Remus sighed and held her before she could go anywhere. She looked up at him angrily.  
  
"You can't just go out and kill her like that" he said.  
  
"Why not?" she snapped. "Seems as good a way as any to me" she added curtly.  
  
Remus sighed again.  
  
"That's because you aren't thinking clearly" he said, sympathy radiating from his eyes.  
  
He smiled slightly at her and she calmed a little.  
  
"The order will be back soon for a meeting. Stay here until then and we can catch you up on what's been happening so far" he said softly.  
  
She nodded reluctantly and sat back down at the table. Tonks was now feeling much better and was sitting at the table eating. She was once again amusing Ginny and Hermione by changing her nose in between mouthfuls. Harry shook his head and smiled faintly before the dull ache came back to him and he stared sadly at the table for a few moments before looking up at Mrs Weasley.  
  
"I'm rather tired. Would it be alright if I went to bed?" he said.  
  
"Of course Harry dear" she said. "Same room as last time" she added.  
  
He nodded and walked up the stairs. 


	4. Chapter 4 The Veil of Death

Chapter 4 - the veil of death  
  
There were voices coming from around him as Sirius felt himself rouse slightly. He had no idea how long he had been stunned, but knew that he had not been enervated. The spell had worn off. The voices were whispering around him.  
  
"How could he have survived?" came a hushed female voice.  
  
"I didn't think it was possible, but then again, we don't get many through the portal" came another, older female voice.  
  
"But I thought the fall alone would be enough to kill him" said a third voice, male this time.  
  
"Shhh. Look, he's awake" came the older female voice.  
  
There were still whisperings, but they seemed much more distant. Sirius tried to open his eyes to see where he was, but when he opened them everything was just as black as when they had been closed. He looked around slightly panicked, wondering if he had lost his eyesight. He sat up and put a hand to his face. They say that even in the thickest darkness, you can still see your own hand. His heart ran cold as he realised that he couldn't see his hand in front of him. He felt around him and his hand touched the wall behind him. It was cold, hard brick. The floor felt like it was made of concrete. He tried desperately to see where he was, but the blackness enveloped him and overwhelmed his senses. He suddenly felt something move near his face and gave a start of surprise. He reached his hands in front of him, but felt nothing. The hairs on the back of his neck began to prickle with fear and he had the strange sensation that people were watching him.  
  
"My, my" a female voice whispered in his ear.  
  
He spun around and lunged in the direction the voice had come from, but grasped nothing as he sprawled onto the ground. He got up quickly, looking around in vain, to see who it was that spoke to him. There was a laugh coming from his other side. A male this time. He tried to see who it was, but the darkness was still too thick. He wondered where he was, then suddenly everything came back to him. The duel with Bellatrix, the spell hitting him in the chest, falling through the archway, and Harry screaming for him. He stood up.  
  
"Who are you?" he hissed at the voices.  
  
"The years have not been kind to you, Sirius" the female voice whispered and he felt something touch his face again.  
  
He jumped back and felt his back against the wall.  
  
"Stop torturing the poor boy you two. He's been through enough as it is" came the scolding voice of the older female.  
  
Sirius looked up in surprise, though he still couldn't see through the darkness. He felt something stir in the back of his mind. He knew where he had heard these voices before.  
  
"Mrs Potter?" he asked in disbelief. The 3 voices chuckled at him.  
  
"Ah so you remember me then? Good" came Mrs Potter's voice.  
  
"I can't believe that he could recognise your voice and not mine mother" came the male voice in mock hurt.  
  
Sirius grinned.  
  
"James" he said, his voice still conveying his disbelief.  
  
There were more laughs.  
  
"So then, do you remember me now?" came the first female voice.  
  
"Lily" he said softly.  
  
He felt tears stinging his eyes and blinked them back.  
  
"Let's not keep him in the dark like this. He's not dead remember, so he can't see us" came Mrs Potters voice.  
  
The room suddenly filled with light and Sirius needed to shield his eyes against the brightness. When his eyes had adjusted he looked around the room. It had a concrete floor and brick walls. He couldn't locate the source of the light, but the room was lit brightly. There were people gathered in the room. Most of them were talking over the other side in whispers, occasionally casting nervous glances towards him. There were 3 people, however, that were standing above him with bemused expressions.  
  
"Where am I?" Sirius asked them. They all frowned at the question. Mrs Potter answered him  
  
"You, my dear, are in limbo. You shouldn't be here" she said kindly.  
  
"What do you mean limbo?" Sirius asked in confusion.  
  
"You aren't dead, but you can't go back. Basically you're stuck" Lily explained.  
  
"Why can't I go back?" Sirius demanded.  
  
The 3 of them looked nervously at each other for a moment.  
  
"The portal only opens one way mate. It only opens when someone walks through it, but it doesn't open at all from this end. The only way that the unspeakables do it is because they use a special spell before they go through" James said kindly.  
  
"What spell" Sirius asked curiously.  
  
"Oh, they cast a spell on the archway before they go through so that it stays open while they come in here to ask us questions" James said knowingly.  
  
"So I'll just wait until they get here and leave with them" Sirius said, folding his arms and setting his jaw in determination.  
  
The three others looked down at him with sad smiles.  
  
"It's not as simple as that Sirius" Lily said softly.  
  
"Why not?" Sirius asked.  
  
"Well, we're able to find out what's going on in the living world, and the last time we heard, the ministry still had a warrant for you, dead or alive" James said.  
  
The reality of the situation dawned on Sirius and his face fell. He realised what would happen if a ministry official came through and saw him. He'd either be killed on the spot, or sent to Azkaban. He knew that he couldn't survive going back to Azkaban, especially now that Voldemort could gain control of the dementors. He knew that they'd give him the dementors kiss on the spot. Sirius threw his hands up in the air in frustration.  
  
"What am I supposed to do then?" he demanded. "I need to get back! Harry needs me!"  
  
"It's up to you what you do dear" Mrs Potter said with a kind smile. "You can chose to wait around, or you can take matters into your own hands. I doubt that you'll ever be able to go back though"  
  
"What do you mean by taking matters into my own hands?" he asked.  
  
"You have a wand there Padfoot. You can use it to kill yourself. Then at least you'll be out of limbo" James said quietly.  
  
"Padfoot?" Sirius asked, his eyes widening. "That's it! You're a genius James! No one from the ministry knows that I'm an anamagi."  
  
The three others looked at him with sympathetic smiles. His heart fell.  
  
"What now?" he asked, exasperated.  
  
"How are you going to get to the door?" Lily asked tentatively, pointing up to the closed off archway which stood about 5 meters above where he was standing.  
  
"I'll have to jump high wont I?" he said firmly, but felt all of his hope dwindling. 


	5. Chapter 5 A Disturbing Turn of Events

Chapter 5 - A disturbing turn of events  
  
Harry woke with a start and saw light in the room. He looked over to Ron's bed and found it empty. He looked at his watch and realised that he had slept in. He walked down the stairs to the dining room. The dining room was empty except for Sera, who was sipping a cup of tea with Kreacher eying Harry menacingly. Sera looked up as Harry entered.  
  
"Good morning" she said and turned to Kreacher, giving him an order to make Harry some breakfast.  
  
Kreacher looked a little unwilling, but Sera smiled at him and he fawned her robes before setting off happily to do her bidding.  
  
"Where is everyone?" Harry asked, rubbing his eyes.  
  
"There's a playground not far from here. Hermione decided to take the boys out and teach them how to play a muggle game to keep them quiet for you so you could sleep. Everyone else is meeting with Dumbledore and I volunteered to stay here in case any of you kids need anything." Sera explained.  
  
Harry nodded and sat down at the table where Kreacher put a plate of food in front of him. Harry eyed the food suspiciously. He didn't trust Kreacher in the slightest. He hated the house elf because it was partly Kreacher's fault that Sirius had been killed. He sighed as he began playing with his food. He didn't notice Sera watching him.  
  
"You know you're not going to bring him back by not eating" she said quietly.  
  
Harry's head shot up and he looked her dead in the eye. He could see how hurt and yet understanding her eyes were. He felt like he could trust her.  
  
"I don't deserve to live" Harry said quietly, looking down at his hands.  
  
Sera did something unexpected. She reached over to Harry and embraced him. Harry found himself crying as he had never cried before. All of the pain from the past weeks flowed out in a stream of tears and he was thankful that they were the only ones there. Once he had composed himself, he looked up at Sera again and noticed that she had tears in her eyes also.  
  
"Sirius never told me about you" Harry said after a minute. He instantly wished he hadn't because he saw the pain in her eyes increase. She composed herself for a moment before responding.  
  
"That's probably because I hurt him more than anyone else in our family ever could" she said quietly.  
  
Harry looked at her puzzled and she motioned for him to follow her as she got up and walked upstairs to the drawing room, where the tapestry hung on the wall. Sera stopped and looked at the tapestry.  
  
"Sirius and I were very close when we were growing up" she said, not looking at Harry. "We were very similar, he and I. We both got into Gryffindor, we both had friends that were muggle born too, although I didn't ever proclaim that fact to the world. I wanted to maintain the family image, Sirius never understood that"  
  
Harry listened patiently, knowing that she would explain everything in her own time. She pointed to a spot on the tapestry. Harry looked at it. Harry saw the name she was pointing at. Serephim Black.  
  
"Notice something wrong here Harry?" she asked quietly, with a strange smile on her face.  
  
He looked at her confused.  
  
"I'm still on here, and Sirius isn't. Why do you think that is?" she asked. Harry shook his head.  
  
"He asked me to go with him when he left. He wanted to get me away from this place and the people in it. I was afraid. He was older than I was. When he left I was only fourteen. That's hardly old enough to be living on your own. I stayed here, and that nearly destroyed him. I had to publicly renounce him in order to please my parents, but still maintained contact with him until he got sent to Azkaban. I got into some unpleasant times and he smoothed them over for me, but I don't think he ever forgave me for not going with him" she said sadly, touching the hole where Sirius' name should have been on the tapestry.  
  
There was a loud bang from downstairs. Sera and Harry ran down, with their wands out to see who it was. They heard voices yelling in the hall and Mrs Black was screeching. Sera pulled the curtain back on her mother and turned to the people gathered in the entrance hall. There stood a very pale Tonks, with Kingsley and Mr Weasley.  
  
"Meeting of the order now" Dumbledore said coming up behind them. A large group of witches and wizards congregated in the dining room in a surprisingly short space of time. Dumbledore ushered them all in pausing before he closed the door.  
  
"I'll explain everything later Harry" Dumbledore said, before shutting the door and leaving Harry standing in the empty corridor. Harry sighed and made his way back up to his room. To his surprise, Remus and Tonks had managed to get his school things and put them into the room without him knowing it. He reached into his trunk and found a set of clean clothes and went to the bathroom to have a shower and get dressed into the clean clothes. He got as far as the door before the room began to spin and he felt himself being pulled somewhere else.  
  
He looked around him. It was just on dusk, he was standing in a deserted street. The street lights were dim and Harry heard movements coming towards him. He looked up at them. The first was a woman. He couldn't tell exactly how old she was. She looked fairly young but when she looked straight up into his eyes he could see a wisdom that comes only with age and experience.  
  
"Get help Harry! They've got Vance, my secret keeper! If they catch me they'll kill me!" she said quickly, scrambling up and trying to run.  
  
Someone came up behind her and yelled "Crucio".  
  
A jet of light flew from the man's wand to the woman that Harry had just seen. Harry looked at the man and his heart froze in horror when he recognised the face.  
  
"Harry!" the woman screamed, tears of pain falling down her face.  
  
She pointed to the sign on the street. Harry could only just make out the letters in the faded light. Winchester Avenue. He turned back to the woman and saw the man cast another spell.  
  
"Avada Kedavra!" he cried. The spell hit the woman and she fell back on the ground motionless.  
  
"NOOO!" Harry screamed.  
  
"It's alright Harry" someone said to him, holding him back on the floor.  
  
It was Remus. Harry began sobbing. Someone called for Remus, who helped Harry up and walked him down the stairs. The other members of the order were congregated at the bottom of the steps.  
  
"Remus they've got Emmeline Vance" Arthur said, looking extremely pale.  
  
Harry's eyes widened and he ran outside. Remus was afraid that he would faint again and ran after him.  
  
Harry looked outside. The sun was still up. He still had a couple of hours to go. Remus caught up to him with Sera directly behind him.  
  
"Where's Winchester Avenue?" Harry asked urgently. Sera looked at him confused.  
  
"I saw a woman. She told me they've got Vance. Fudge used the unforgivable curses on her. He's going to kill her I have to help! She was calling for me to help her!"  
  
Harry said, looking pleadingly between the two of them. Remus and Sera exchanged a look. Harry thought that he heard both of them whisper "Emily" before Sera grabbed his hand and took him back into the house. Harry began screaming at her to listen to him and she put up her hand to stop him.  
  
"I believe you!" she said, her voice slightly panicked. "We have to get ready to go though. We'll take days to get there if we walk. Accio broomsticks!"  
  
Two broomsticks flew at her. One of them was the firebolt, which she passed to Harry quickly before casting the disillusionment charm on him and then herself. She turned to Remus  
  
"Remember, red sparks, then green" she said quickly.  
  
He nodded and she led Harry out the door. They both got onto their broomsticks and he followed her into the air, trying hard to see her properly because the disillusionment charm made it extremely difficult.  
  
They had been riding for what seemed like hours. Dusk was beginning to fall. Harry's stomach clenched as he remembered the scene, but it unclenched a little when they landed and saw that the street lights were still on. They walked along the street until Harry found the spot that he had seen the woman hours before in his vision. He pointed out the spot to Sera, who sent up red, and then green sparks from her wand. Harry heard loud pops fill the air as a number of order members, all dressed in red and gold robes, materialised in front of him. The each put a mask to their face and Harry was struck by the fact that except for colours, they dressed exactly like the deatheaters. Harry knew that it was for their protection, because some people in the order couldn't afford to be recognised. They all hid among the undergrowth and shrubs. The street suddenly became black as a number of people began walking down the street. Harry's stomach knotted as he waited anxiously for the woman to appear.  
  
It took about 15 minutes before they saw the figures. They were running up the street as they had been in his vision, the woman in front was dodging a series of curses that were being thrown at her by her persuers. She tripped and fell just a few feet from where Harry stood, just like she had in the vision. This time however, Fudge did not get close enough to attack her. The order members sprung out of their hiding places and began throwing curses at the woman's pursuers. Harry made his way over to the frail woman on the ground. She looked up at him.  
  
"Harry! Thank goodness it worked!" she exclaimed throwing her arms around him.  
  
Harry was stunned. He didn't recall ever meeting this woman in his life, yet something about her was strangely familiar.  
  
"Come on, let's go before they remember us" Sera said quickly and led Harry and the new woman back over to where the broomsticks were.  
  
"First of all, I need to make sure that you are really Emily, or Moody will have my head" Sera said, facing the woman.  
  
The woman thought for a moment before grinning and turning to Sera.  
  
"Meow" she said, and chuckled as Sera's eyes widened.  
  
"Yep, that would do it for me" Sera said, glancing nervously at Harry who was eying them both suspiciously.  
  
Sera passed each of them a broom and turned to Harry.  
  
"Take her to the hideout. Make sure that you're not followed. Here" she said, casting the disillusionment charm on Harry once again and then repeating it for Emily.  
  
"We'll probably be there by the time you get back"  
  
Harry nodded his understanding and he and Emily set off back towards where the hideout was. 


	6. Chapter 6 Families Reunited

Chapter 6 - Families Reunited  
  
When Harry and Emily reached the hideout, it was well after dark. Harry saw that Mrs Weasley and Remus were both standing on the street to greet them before they went into the hideout. Remus questioned Emily before conceding that it was definitely her and letting her into the hideout.  
  
Over dinner, Harry saw that Emily kept staring at him. He was getting unnerved by this. Something about her was familiar to him. He knew that he had seen her before, though he couldn't remember where. It was like the memory was hiding in some deep recess of his brain that he couldn't access. He sighed resignedly as he gave up trying to eat and pushed his near full plate aside. He saw Mrs Weasley frown when she looked over, but she didn't comment. Harry excused himself and went upstairs to bed. He laid on his bed for hours. He pretended to be asleep when Ron came in so that he wouldn't have to talk to anyone. He tried desperately to remember where he had seen Emily before. He finally fell asleep and started dreaming.  
  
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Somewhere far away, a woman was standing in the doorway to her daughter's room. She stood there a moment, looking at her daughter's frame and marvelling at the likeness between the girl and her father, before closing the door and walking back into the large lounge area. She sat down in front of the fireplace and looked once again at the letter she was carrying in her hand. It had been sent to her this morning. She read the words out loud to herself:  
  
Mel,  
It has been a long time since we have spoken. I did not know how to contact you until recently. We found out your location because one of my close friends interviewed your brother, who you will by now know is in Azkaban. I am writing to you with regard to the Phoenix. It has been doing well for the past year, but I think that it would greatly appreciate a visit from you tomorrow if you can manage it. Just go back to the house you went to before, it is still there. I will be waiting for you there and hope to see you tomorrow at 7am. I am also sorry to inform you that the dog died recently. We are all grieving the loss. I miss you greatly.  
  
Molly Weasley.  
  
The woman sighed as she threw the letter on the fire. Her pale blue eyes watched the letter turn black as the flames licked it. She rested her head on the side of the lounge and her pale blond hair fell across her face. She would need to leave in less than an hour to get there in time. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she thought of what the letter contained. She was interrupted from her thoughts after a few moments.  
  
"máthair" (mother) came a small voice from the doorway.  
  
The woman looked to the hallway where her daughter's tiny frame was sillohetted against the light coming from her bedroom down the hall. The woman smiled.  
  
"Conas atá tú Megan?" (how are you Megan) Mel asked.  
  
The girl shrugged slightly.  
  
"Tá mé ceart go leor." (I'm ok) Megan replied, walking over to her mother.  
  
"We'll have to try speaking in English now. There aren't many people where we are going that are going to understand us in Gaelic" Mel said, frowning.  
  
Megan nodded, causing her loose, dark hair to fall over her face. Mel reached a hand up to pull the hair out of her daughter's face and marvelled once again at the resemblance Megan had to her father. Tears began to fall down her cheeks again.  
  
"Are you ok mama?" Megan asked, her eyes filled with concern.  
  
Her mother nodded, wiping the tears out of her eyes.  
  
"Come, we should get going. You'll need to get dressed" she said. Megan got up slowly, eyeing her mother carefully.  
  
When she was sure that her mother was fine she began walking back to the bedroom, but turned in the hall.  
  
"How are we getting there?" she called out.  
  
"We're taking the motorbike" Mel replied.  
  
Megan squealed and ran to get ready. Her mother sat back on the lounge and looked at the fire again with a smile. The smile began to fade as she thought once again about the contents of the letter, but she soon forced herself to think about other things and packed the things she and her daughter would need over the coming weeks. She charmed their luggage and Megan's school trunk to fit in a small backpack, then grabbed the two helmets and headed to the door. Her daughter came down at this point with a cheery smile.  
  
"Got your wand?" asked Mel.  
  
Megan nodded. They both put on their helmets and went outside to the motorbike. A thunderous noise erupted from the machine as it was started and the motorbike, carrying the two witches, disappeared into the night's sky.  
  
Mel dropped down in the familiar street that she had grown up in. The motorbike came to rest outside a small cottage. She pulled off her helmet and turned to her daughter to make sure that she was alright. Once convinced that Megan had suffered no hurt from the journey, the two of them made their way up the stairs to the cottage.  
  
"What is this place Mama?" Megan asked quietly.  
  
"This is where I grew up" Mel replied.  
  
The door opened at that moment and Mel and Megan stopped dead in shock as a bolt of red and black came hurtling towards them. Before Mel could blink she found herself in a warm embrace.  
  
"Molly!" she said. "You're going to strangle me if you keep this up! Look! You're scaring Megan"  
  
Molly Weasley let go of Mel with tears in her eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry. I just haven't seen you in so long and I ." she trailed off.  
  
Mel gave her a warm smile and embraced her warmly. Mrs Weasley began to sob.  
  
"And here's Megan" Mel said as soon as they had pulled apart. She indicated the wispy figure who was standing beside her. Mrs Weasley looked her up and down.  
  
"My goodness, she looks just like her father" Molly breathed.  
  
Mel stiffened and Megan looked up at Molly confused. Molly looked from one to the other.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say something to offend you" Molly said to Mel apologetically.  
  
Mel sighed and relaxed slightly.  
  
"It's not your fault Molly, I'll explain later" she said.  
  
Molly nodded and led them both inside the cottage. There was a woman inside waiting for them.  
  
"Ruby!" cried Mel and ran to embrace the woman. Ruby smiled as they pulled apart.  
  
"Hello Mel, I haven't seen you in quite a while" Ruby said cheerily.  
  
"So you're still here? After all these years?" Mel said incredulously. Ruby laughed.  
  
"Of course I'm here! I've been waiting for you to come back. Plus I don't have to pay rent this way" she said with a wink.  
  
Now it was Mel's turn to laugh.  
  
"Come on then, we have to get going" Molly said anxiously.  
  
She passed a piece of parchment to Mel and then to Megan.  
  
"Memorise it, then follow me" she said.  
  
Once they had memorised the contents, Molly threw the parchment on the fire.  
  
"Alright. I'll meet you both over there" Molly said, and apparated.  
  
Mel turned to Ruby with a sad smile.  
  
"Go on" Ruby said. "We can catch up later. They need you now"  
  
Mel nodded and led Megan back out the door to the motorbike.  
  
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Harry was in a strange room. There was a crib in the corner. Harry heard a baby begin to cry and saw the door swing open. Harry gasped when he saw his parents walk into the room. They stood over the crib and comforted the crying baby until it settled and they laid the baby back in the crib. Another figure walked in and looked at the baby. She whispered something to the baby and Harry heard the baby laugh. His parents smiled, amused at the scene. The figure stood straight again and Harry saw the face. It was Emily.  
  
"Once everything settles down, go and see Vance. She's going to be my secret keeper. I know that I can trust her" Emily said with a small smile.  
  
Harry's parents nodded grimly. The baby let out a small sound and Lily turned back to the crib. Emily looked at her watch.  
  
"Emily" came a voice from the doorway.  
  
Everyone in the room turned at the sound of the voice. It was Dumbledore.  
  
"It's time" he said softly.  
  
Emily nodded with tears in her eyes. She reached out and hugged James.  
  
"Be careful" he said to her.  
  
She nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks as she hugged Lily also. Lastly, she turned to the baby.  
  
"Good luck Harry" she whispered as she held the baby to her, kissed him on the forehead and then handed it back to Lily.  
  
Emily smiled cheerfully and waved slightly as she left the room, but Harry had seen the fear and pain in her eyes. Harry heard someone calling his name.  
  
"Harry wake up!" Ron said, shaking him.  
  
"What?" Harry snapped. Ron stopped shaking him immediately.  
  
"Mom want's you to come down for breakfast" Ron replied and walked straight out of the room.  
  
Harry blinked a few times to get the sleep out of his eyes before putting on his glasses. He got up to dress quickly and then made his way down the stairs. He could hear giggling from the kitchen.  
  
"Will you girls be quiet" Harry said, "You're giving me a headache"  
  
Mrs Weasley swooped down on Harry at these words and Harry saw 3 girls sitting at the table. Ginny, Hermione and a girl that he didn't recognise. They were still giggling to each other. Mrs Weasley saw Harry's look of confusion as he viewed the new girl.  
  
"This is my cousin's daughter Megan" Mrs Weasley said, "She'll be spending a little bit of time here"  
  
Harry nodded and sat down in a chair for breakfast. Once again, he wasn't very hungry. He pushed the food around his plate until he got bored and pushed the plate aside. Mrs Weasley frowned at the plate as she handed him 2 envelopes. They both had the Hogwarts crest on the seal. One was written in the usual manner of his yearly letter, but the other was written in maroon and had a strange stamp on the front. Harry knew what it was. The results to his OWLs.  
  
Hermione was looking at him eagerly, but he didn't feel like opening his results in front of her, so he put that envelope gingerly back into his pocket and instead ripped open the yearly letter. It was substantially bigger than last years. It contained a list of subjects with books written underneath. There was an additional note from Professor McGonagal outlining the subjects that he would need to become an auror and the elective subjects he could have also. She added a small footnote stating that she had ensured that he was placed in all the subjects he needed. Harry smiled, remembering the promise that she had made in his 5th year. He put the notes down on the table and looked up at Mrs Weasley.  
  
"We're going to Diagon Alley in an hour" she said. "Make sure you're ready to go by then"  
  
Harry nodded and left the room, not feeling much like talking to the girls there. 


	7. Chapter 7 A Surprise Arrival

Chapter 7 - a surprise arrival  
  
When they got to Diagon Alley, Mrs Weasley suggested that they all go in pairs. Harry instantly turned to Ron, but Ron had already grabbed hold of Hermione and was leading her away. Harry looked at them astounded. Ginny was going with Mrs Weasley to get some robes, so Harry resignedly went with Megan. Megan was incredibly quiet the whole time they went to get their things. Harry tried to make polite conversation with her, but she didn't talk much, giving only very short responses to each question. They were passing quality quidditch supplies.  
  
"Do you like quidditch?" Harry asked.  
  
"Not really" she replied quietly.  
  
Harry sighed.  
  
"Do you mind if I go in quickly and have a look?" he asked.  
  
She shook her head and waited near the window. Harry looked around at all the shelves in ecstasy. He was soon disturbed when he saw Draco Malfoy talking to Megan outside. He decided to go out and see what they were talking about.  
  
"What are you doing here Malfoy?" Harry spat when he got out of the store.  
  
His wand was out and pointing at Malfoy. Megan looked at him in surprise and Malfoy scowled.  
  
"With Potter are you Megan? Father will hear about this" he said menacingly.  
  
Megan's eyes turned to fear.  
  
"Please! No!" she said grabbing his robes. "No Draco, don't say anything" she begged.  
  
Harry looked at her strangely. Draco had a smirk on his face. He pushed Megan off him. Megan fell back onto the ground and the hem of her robes ripped.  
  
"I'll be sure to give father regards for both of you" Draco said, looking at both Megan and Harry before leaving.  
  
Harry walked over to Megan and was surprised to see that she was crying. He went to help her up, but Megan recoiled from him, looking scared at the wand in his hand. Harry was confused, but put the wand away before kneeling beside her.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked softly.  
  
She began sobbing. Harry was extremely uncomfortable of the fact that people were staring at them. He helped her up and led her into an alleyway so that they were not being watched. It took a few minutes for Megan to stop crying.  
  
"What was that about?" Harry asked gently.  
  
Megan looked up into his eyes. They seemed so welcoming and understanding. She surprised herself because she wanted to tell him everything, but something inside her closed off and she shook her head.  
  
"It doesn't matter" she said softly. "We should get back to the others"  
  
Harry felt sympathy for her, but was slightly annoyed that she hadn't confided in him. He walked back into the main street with her and went to find Mrs Weasley. They had just found the others when a loud BANG made them all start. There were people in black cloaks walking up Diagon Alley shooting curses.  
  
Suddenly, Sera and Snape were with them.  
  
"Come on everyone follow me" Sera said quickly as she led them all away from the fighting.  
  
"Not you Potter" Snape said quickly, grabbing Harry's arm and pulling him away.  
  
Harry was scared, knowing that Snape used to be a deatheater. Harry was still not sure that he could be trusted, but he was surprisingly strong, so Harry didn't have the strength to resist. The two of them ran the opposite way to where Sera was leading the others and Harry panicked. They were headed straight for the deatheaters. He was about to try and get free when Snape pulled him into an alleyway and began running hard, half dragging Harry behind him.  
  
"Come on Potter" He hissed.  
  
Harry tried to run faster, but there was a huge pain in his chest. He had no energy. He felt his head spinning. He fell over and heard Snape curse. Suddenly, he was no longer on the ground, but was being carried. He didn't have the strength to care. After a few minutes, he felt himself being gently put back on the ground and looked up. Snape was looking down at him.  
  
"Get on Harry" he said, indicating a motorbike.  
  
There was a woman on the front. Harry stared confused for a moment and Snape picked him up and placed him on the bike, shoving the spare helmet on his head.  
  
"Go quickly" Snape told the rider.  
  
Harry held on for dear life as the motorbike sped away into the distance. Snape looked around quickly, and noticed some figures in dark cloaks making their way towards him. He swore and then disapparated, hoping against all hope that the figures had not recognised him.  
  
The motorbike came to a stop outside a small cottage. Harry was feeling quite ill, but tried not to let it show as the woman helped him off the bike. She took of her helmet and he gasped. She had white blonde hair and pale blue eyes, just like someone else that Harry recognised.  
  
"Hi Harry. I'm Melarin Malfoy. Just call me Mel" she said, holding out her hand for him to shake.  
  
Harry backed away slightly, his eyes wide with fear. Mel chuckled.  
  
"It's alright Harry. I'm Molly's cousin. I'm in the order too" she said.  
  
"Now we have to get you inside before someone realises you're here. Emily should be contacting me again any minute" she added, grabbing Harry's arm and leading him in a firm, but gentle grip.  
  
Harry had no choice but to go with her. He sighed resignedly as she led him up the stairs.  
  
There was another woman in the house. She introduced herself as Ruby and began making a pot of tea. Mel drank the tea, but Harry didn't. He sat on the chair, watching both women apprehensively. After a moment they heard a pop and Harry jumped when he saw Emily's face staring back at him from the fireplace.  
  
"Mel the coast is clear now. You can bring Harry back. Everyone else got here fine. Megan says to tell you not to worry" she said brightly.  
  
Mel gave a relieved sigh.  
  
"We'll leave now" she said quickly.  
  
There was another pop and Emily's head disappeared from the flames.  
  
Mel parked the motorbike a fair way from the hideout. She looked around to make sure no one was around before transfiguring the motorbike into a ring, which she placed on her finger. Harry looked at her amazed.  
  
"It doesn't get stolen this way, and it's handy when I need it" Mel said quickly before leading Harry to the entrance of the hideout. Mrs Weasley was waiting for them in the entrance hall and sprung on Harry as soon as he entered, embracing him warmly. Harry wished that she would let go because he was feeling quite sick. When she let him go and looked at him, she seemed to realise something was wrong. She put a hand to his forehead. It was burning hot.  
  
"I think maybe you should go upstairs to bed Harry dear" she said after a moment.  
  
Harry nodded and began walking up the stairs. Suddenly he felt violently sick. He put his hand to his stomach and felt the world spinning around him. His eyes became unfocused and then all he could see was red. He felt himself falling, but couldn't do anything to stop it. He was vaguely aware of the sounds of footsteps and people yelling. Everything went black as he felt himself hit something solid.  
  
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"How is he dear?" Mr Weasley asked his wife as she came back into the dining room.  
  
All faces were turned to her and Remus, who had taken Harry to his room.  
  
"He's quite ill. I think it might be because he hasn't been eating, but I can't be sure. He'll have a nasty bump on his head when he wakes up too. We'll let him sleep tonight and if he isn't any better in the morning then we'll have to take him to St Mungos." Mrs Weasley said sadly.  
  
Remus looked quite pale. He was quite shaken up by Harry's sudden illness. He had lost all three of his best friends, and now he felt that he might lose Harry too. It was more than he could bear.  
  
The people seated around the table were Mr and Mrs Weasley, Remus, Sera and Mel, as well as Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Megan. Everyone in the kitchen ate in silence. There was a nervous tension in the air. The silence was suddenly broken, but the distraction didn't ease the tension.  
  
A dark haired man ran straight into the room, causing everyone in the room to jump out of their chairs in fright.  
  
"Food!" the man cried hoarsely and began eating anything he could grab.  
  
They looked at the man in stunned amazement for a few moments. Remus and Mr Weasley were the first to react and pulled out their wands, pointing it directly at the person standing in front of them. The man looked up finally and everyone in the room gasped. It was Sirius Black. 


	8. Chapter 8 Padfoot Returns

Chapter 8 - Padfoot Returns  
  
His hair was mangled and he was very thin. He had grown a small beard and moustache. He looked so different that it was no surprise that they didn't recognise him at first.  
  
"Sirius!" Mrs Weasley cried and ran at him.  
  
She pulled him into a tight embrace and started sobbing.  
  
"Molly!" Sirius exclaimed, scared of this uncharacteristic display of affection.  
  
They had parted on bad terms.  
  
"I'm so sorry Sirius!" She sobbed.  
  
He patted her gingerly on the back.  
  
"It's ok Molly" he said softly.  
  
When Mrs Weasley finally let go of him he looked around the room. His eyes rested first on Remus, who still had his wand out and had a strange expression on his face.  
  
"Remus it's me" Sirius said, walking a couple of steps towards him.  
  
Remus backed away, his wand still drawn.  
  
"Prove it" Remus said.  
  
Sirius thought for a moment.  
  
"Let's see, we can't use the Marauder's because Peter was one of them, and you suspect me of being a deatheater don't you?" Sirius waited for confirmation.  
  
Remus nodded slowly, not taking his eyes away from Sirius' face. Sirius thought hard, then his expression turned to a huge smile  
  
"In 6th year I caught you coming out of the prefect's." he was cut off by Remus.  
  
"That will do" Remus said, a slight pink tinge to his cheeks.  
  
Ron and Hermione looked at Remus with surprise, wondering what had happened that would make Remus blush. Sirius grinned as Remus lowered his wand and embraced Sirius like a brother.  
  
"You took your time old friend" Remus said in a choked voice.  
  
"I came as soon as I could" Sirius replied softly.  
  
"How? No one has ever come back before" Remus pointed out.  
  
"Not now. I'll tell you another time" Sirius said, looking at the other faces around the room.  
  
His eyes found Sera. His expression changed instantly.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he exploded.  
  
"I had to come. I couldn't just watch what was happening from the sidelines" she replied. "I can't stay in a cage when people need my help" she added.  
  
Sirius thought about this for a moment before smiling and nodding.  
  
"It's good to see you again Sera" he said evenly.  
  
Sera nodded. He continued looking around the room. He saw Megan. His head tilted and he looked slightly confused. Mel moved in front of her daughter protectively, hiding her from view. Sirius' expression changed.  
  
"Mel" he said, his voice so choked that it was little more than a whisper.  
  
Mel nodded and smiled faintly, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. Her eyes showed only hurt and confusion. After a moment, Sirius came out of his trance-like state and looked at the others.  
  
"Where's Harry?" he asked anxiously.  
  
"He's up in his room. He's been taken ill" Mrs Weasley said gently.  
  
Sirius' eyes filled with concern and he ran up towards the bedroom, with Mrs Weasley in hot persuit. He sat down next to the bed where Harry lay, sweating and murmuring something.  
  
"Sirius!" Harry called out in his sleep. "No! He's not dead! Sirius where are you?"  
  
"I'm here Harry" Sirius said urgently. "I'm here"  
  
Harry started shaking. Mrs Weasley pulled out some water and a towel and began dabbing the wet towel onto Harry's sweat covered face. Sirius took it off her after a moment.  
  
"Let me, Molly" he said quietly.  
  
Mrs Weasley was going to protest, but Ginny came to the door and told her she was needed downstairs. Mrs Weasley nodded resignedly and left Sirius to attend to Harry. Sirius began dabbing the wet towel onto Harry's face and throat. Harry was still shaking. Sirius began speaking softly to him to try and sooth him. Harry began to relax a little and stopped shaking as much.  
  
"I love you Sirius" he murmured and then fell silent.  
  
"I love you too" Sirius whispered, tears of worry falling down his cheek. Once Harry looked comfortable, Sirius made his way back downstairs.  
  
Sirius stopped at the doorway to the dining room when he heard voices.  
  
"So you're certain it's him then?" came Dumbledore's voice.  
  
"I'm positive" Remus assured him.  
  
"Maybe we should stop talking about him now, seeing as he's right outside the door" came the growl of Mad eyed Moody.  
  
Sirius took this as his cue to enter and walked into the room. All eyes were turned on him. He realised that everyone in the order was here. The children were no where to be seen.  
  
"Where did the children go?" Sirius asked.  
  
"In bed. I've put Ron into Fred and George's bedroom so that Harry's got the room to himself while he recovers" Mrs Weasley said.  
  
Sirius nodded.  
  
"Welcome back Sirius" Dumbledore said, shaking his hand.  
  
Sirius grinned at him. He noticed Snape from the corner of his eye. He was scowling. Sirius rolled his eyes and looked around at the others.  
  
"Where's Emmeline? And Mundungus?" he asked suddenly.  
  
The expressions of the people in the room turned stony.  
  
"Taken for questioning" Dumbledore said after a moment.  
  
Sirius looked at him questioningly.  
  
"The ministry has now acknowledged that Voldemort has returned, and Fudge has allowed aurors to use the unforgiveable curses on suspects" Dumbledore said.  
  
His voice was expressionless, but his eyes flashed with anger.  
  
"He hasn't! Not even he is that stupid" Sirius said in disbelief.  
  
He stared around the room and his fears were confirmed.  
  
"So what about Emmeline? Is she alright?" he asked, worried.  
  
Dumbledore was quiet for a moment.  
  
"They used cruciatus in their interrogation of her and found out where Emily was. It was very lucky that we managed to get there first" he said.  
  
Sirius' eyes widened.  
  
"Where's Emily?" he asked immediately.  
  
"Here" came a voice behind him.  
  
The short, thin witch strode in and embraced him warmly.  
  
"Glad to see you're still with us Sirius Black" she said with a smile.  
  
Sirius smiled back, relieved.  
  
"I could say the same about you Emily Potter" he said, grinning.  
  
Dumbledore coughed and they looked back towards him. The meeting progressed long into the night, and Sirius felt his mind constantly wandering to Harry. He didn't get up, but promised himself that he would be going up to see Harry as soon as the meeting ended. 


	9. Chapter 9 Secrets

Chapter 9 - Secrets  
  
Ginny and Hermione were finally asleep. Megan quietly tiptoed towards the door, being careful not to wake the two girls. She smiled when she finally closed the door with a soft click and began sneaking down the corridor to Harry's room. She opened the door and crept over to his bed. She could hear him murmuring something. He cried out in his sleep. Megan felt something stir in her heart that she had never felt before. Pity. She could see that he was obviously hurting as much as she usually was inside. Harry had been happy the entire day that she had observed him, and she was startled to hear him going through pain in his dreams. Suddenly she realised that underneath it all, they were alike. Both of them were suffering more than they could allow the people who knew them to bear.  
  
Maybe that's why I feel like I can confide in him? She thought to herself as she reached out the damp cloth and wiped away the sweat from Harry's face. He was very hot and feverish. Maybe when he's well again I can tell him about my nightmares, and about my past. He wanted to know before. Maybe he could help. She sighed wondering what was making him so sick. She didn't have long to think about it though, because the door opened and some people walked in. Megan froze.  
  
"Who's this then" said a kindly male voice.  
  
Megan didn't respond straight away. She didn't like men.  
  
"Megan" she said softly.  
  
The man smiled. She tried to remember what they had called him downstairs. Sirius, that was it.  
  
"What brings you here Megan?" Sirius asked playfully.  
  
Megan looked to Molly, who was standing beside him before answering.  
  
"Mama is here" she said simply.  
  
Sirius looked questioningly at Molly, before someone else walked in behind them.  
  
"Megan, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be in bed" Mel said scoldingly.  
  
Megan stood up.  
  
"I'm sorry Mama. I couldn't sleep" she said simply. "I wanted to make sure that Harry was alright"  
  
Sirius looked at Mel strangely. Mel kept her eyes low, so that they didn't meet his.  
  
"You should be in bed Megan, off you go now." she said.  
  
Megan sighed and nodded. She left the room and Sirius turned to Mel.  
  
"Can I talk to you for a moment Mel?" he asked quietly.  
  
Molly looked at them curiously, wondering how her cousin would react. Mel's expression showed only sadness as she nodded resignedly and followed Sirius upstairs to the drawing room. Molly walked over to Harry and checked that he was sleeping soundly. He had stopped murmuring and was sleeping deeply. Molly sighed as she left the room and went back downstairs.  
  
"How old is Megan?" Sirius asked in a strained voice. Mel looked up at him with anger in her eyes.  
  
"I don't have to tell you anything" she said coldly. Sirius' eyes flashed with anger.  
  
"I deserve an explanation" He said heatedly  
  
"You deserve nothing from me" Mel said icily and walked towards the door.  
  
Sirius grabbed her by the hand to stop her from leaving.  
  
"You're my wife. I deserve to know" He said quietly.  
  
She yanked her hand out of his grasp, her eyes flashing with anger.  
  
"You gave up being my husband the day you abandoned me to go after your friends" she spat at him.  
  
"What did you expect me to do? You heard the prophecy too. You knew the risk as well as I did. Harry needed to be kept safe" Sirius said angrily.  
  
"But at that point it might not have been Harry. You never devoted much time to helping the Longbottoms did you?" She asked accusingly.  
  
Sirius took a deep breath and tried in vain to calm his emotions.  
  
"The Longbottoms had others to protect them. They had family. Lily and James had no one else. Albus was busy with the order, they had no other family that could help. The only living relative of James was Emily who was on the run, and the only living relative of Lily was a muggle that wanted nothing to do with her." he said coldly.  
  
Mel looked at the wall for a minute. Anything to not look into his eyes.  
  
"You still abandoned me" she said, her voice slightly choked. Sirius' expression softened.  
  
"If I'd known they would come after you, I would never have left you" he said softly.  
  
Mel's eyes filled with tears.  
  
"What's done is done" she said in an empty voice and reached for the door handle.  
  
Sirius stopped her.  
  
"She's mine isn't she?" he asked quietly.  
  
Mel was silent for a moment.  
  
"No" she replied in the same empty voice and walked out the door.  
  
Sirius watched her go and continued to stare for a few moments, lost in thought. He felt as if his whole world was crumbling. He sighed after a moment and blinked back the tears that threatened to fall, then went back to check on Harry.  
  
"I'm sending the boys back to the burrow tomorrow morning" Mrs Weasley said to her husband down in the kitchen. "They shouldn't be here while Harry's sick, I'm not sure if it's contagious. I'll have to send the girls away to. Perhaps the Grangers wouldn't mind taking them"  
  
"Not Megan. She stays" Mel said quietly.  
  
Mr Weasley furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Mel questioningly. Mel sighed.  
  
"Megan has nightmares. It's better that she stays where I can keep an eye on her. At school she visits the nurse frequently for it, I don't want her to be a bother to Hermione's parents" she said quietly.  
  
Mr and Mrs Weasley both nodded understandingly.  
  
"What does she have nightmares about?" asked Sera kindly.  
  
Mel frowned.  
  
"I don't know. She never tells me. I have a feeling that it's something to do with my brother, but I can't be sure" she said.  
  
Mrs Weasley looked curiously at Mel for a moment as if remembering something.  
  
"So did you tell him who the father was?" she asked.  
  
Mel shook her head and Mrs Weasley's eyes clouded with confusion.  
  
"It's better that he doesn't know" Mel said simply.  
  
"Whatever you think is best" Mrs Weasley replied looking as if she didn't think that Mel was taking the best course of action, but wasn't going to say anything about it in case they had a fight.  
  
Mel was deep in thought and began fondling something on a chain around her neck. Mrs Weasley noticed, but couldn't make out what was on the end of the chain. Mel soon put the chain back under her robes out of sight, then excused herself and left for her order duties with Mr Weasley. 


	10. Chapter 10 A turn for the worst

Chapter 10 - A turn for the worst  
  
Sera got up very early the next morning. Kreacher, as usual, was standing beside her bed with huge adoring eyes staring directly at her. His face broke into a huge smile when he saw that she was awake. She had never particularly like the small creature, thinking him quite useless, but gave him odd little jobs to keep him occupied, and gave fond remarks where required to stop him from becoming disgruntled. She couldn't very well set him free, knowing the secrets that he kept for the order.  
  
"Would miss like some breakfast?" he asked eagerly.  
  
"No, not right now. Can you go and clean the drawing room?" she asked.  
  
Molly was a much better cook and she preferred to keep him busy away from where the others were considering his lack of respect for Hermione and Tonks. Kreacher left the room happily and Sera yawned and stretched before getting out of bed. She got dressed quickly and made her way to Harry's room to check how he was.  
  
She found Sirius asleep on the chair next to Harry's bed. She sighed. Sirius looked just as bad as he had when he had walked in the night before. She walked over to him quietly, noticing that Harry's condition had not changed overnight before shaking Sirius gently. Sirius awoke with a start and looked madly around him. Sera put her finger to his lips to stop him from speaking and motioned for him to follow her. They walked out to the backyard of the house. It had been enchanted long ago to prevent muggles being able to see into it, so neither of them feared being seen. Sera stood quietly looking out at the yard for a moment.  
  
"Why did you come back Sera?" Sirius asked. "After everything I did to protect you, why did you risk being seen again?"  
  
Sera turned to him.  
  
"It's not that I wasn't grateful. I just couldn't keep running forever. You know as well as I do that we can't just sit around and watch. I saw an article in the daily prophet about Voldemort and I came back to see if I could help" she said simply.  
  
Sirius nodded. He too looked out at the yard. It had been many years since he had stood out here.  
  
"Remember the last time we stood out here together" he said.  
  
She nodded.  
  
"It was one of the worst days of my life" Sirius admitted.  
  
"It was the worst day of my life" Sera said softly.  
  
Sirius looked at her strangely. Sera turned her gaze to meet his eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't go with you" she said softly. "I realised as soon as you'd left that I'd made the wrong decision. I was foolish and scared. Can you forgive me?"  
  
He studied her for a moment.  
  
"You did nothing wrong. You were a child. I should never have asked you to make that decision." He said softly.  
  
Sera's eyes filled with tears and Sirius reached out and embraced her. Both were relieved, for now that their problems were behind them, they could begin to rebuild the closeness they once had.  
  
"You look terrible Sirius. You'll scare Harry if he sees you like that. Have a shower and I'll get you some clean robes." Sera said, pulling him back into the house.  
  
"Here" she said, thrusting a towel in his direction which she had just pulled out of the linen cupboard.  
  
She pushed him into the bathroom and he looked as if he was about to object, but saw his reflection in the mirror and sighed resignedly, knowing it was for the best. While he went to have a shower, Sera found some plain black robes in the depth of her cupboard and waited outside the door to the bathroom. When Sirius came out of the bathroom he was freshly shaven, with the towel wrapped around him. She handed him the robes. He took them and went into his own room to change. When he came back out, Sera gave him and evil grin, holding up a hairbrush and a pair of scissors. He looked at her mutinously as she dragged him into the bathroom and plonked him down on a stool so that she could do his hair.  
  
"There we are" she said approvingly as she finished her work and marvelled at her masterpiece.  
  
He was still very thin and pale, but he was well groomed and looked almost human again. She handed him a mirror and even he was impressed at the vast improvement. He smiled cheerfully as he made his way down to the kitchen, where he could hear Molly making breakfast. Sera followed close behind.  
  
Molly gave a start when she saw Sirius. He looked much different from the night before. She quickly recovered and placed a plate of food in front of him. Sirius noticed that she had gone to a lot of trouble and realised that it was probably because she had felt guilty for fighting with him before he fell through the veil. He was about to say something when an owl flew in through the window and landed on the table. It was carrying a copy of the daily prophet.  
  
"Oh, that must be Harry's subscription" Mrs Weasley said as Sera pulled out a few knuts and paid the bird, which flew off again out the window.  
  
Sera reached for a glass of water and spat it out when she read the headline of the day. The others looked at her curiously as she jumped up and dropped the paper as if it had burned her. Her eyes were very wide and she was very pale.  
  
"What's the matter?" asked Sirius, concerned, as he picked up the paper.  
  
Sera didn't respond but she didn't need to. Sirius read the article that she had just been reading.  
  
"Known deatheater returns in broad daylight"  
  
Seraphim Black, long suspected of being one of you-know-who's closest supporters, was sighted yesterday during a deatheater attack in Diagon Alley. As many readers may recall, Seraphim disappeared shortly after you- know-who's demise 15 years ago, after her fiancé went to the ministry of magic giving evidence that she was one of You Know Who's closest confidants. She is considered highly dangerous and has no regard for life. She is even suspected of the deaths of her own mother and father. Her return is thought to be a result of you-know-who's return, and the fact that she broadcasted herself so publicly yesterday has put fear into the wizarding community. It is believed by ministry officials that Seraphim has been hiding out with her brother, the infamous, yet elusive, Sirius Black. Many believe that more deatheaters will come out of hiding to join their master, and do not feel safe leaving their homes.  
  
The article continued, but Sirius put it down and stared at his sister. She sank back down into her seat and put her head in her hands. Mrs Weasley looked at them both questioningly and Sirius handed her the paper. She took one look at it and put her hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp. Sera didn't say anything. She felt like she was going to be sick.  
  
"What were you doing in Diagon Alley?" Sirius asked, disbelieving.  
  
"Emily had a vision that the deatheaters would attack while Harry and the others were there. Severus and I were the only ones here and there wasn't much time. Emily went to get Mel, Severus and I went to help Harry and the others" she said quietly.  
  
She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.  
  
"It's alright" Sirius said, putting a reassuring arm over her shoulders. "Everything will be alright"  
  
She put her head back into her hands and stared at the table, willing herself not to cry. Mrs Weasley looked over at Sera with a strange expression. Sirius noticed and took her into the other room.  
  
"She's never been a deatheater Molly" he reassured her.  
  
Mrs Weasley looked up at him.  
  
"How can you be sure?" she asked.  
  
"I am" he said firmly.  
  
Mrs Weasley didn't look convinced, but nodded resignedly.  
  
"We should go and check on Harry" Sirius said suddenly.  
  
He had a bad feeling in his gut and was suddenly very worried. They both ran upstairs to Harry's room. He was sweating uncontrollably and shaking. His skin was clammy and he was murmuring something that neither of them could understand.  
  
"We need to get him to a doctor!" Mrs Weasley screamed and ran to get someone to help them. Sirius wrapped a blanket firmly around Harry's thin frame and lifted him up. He went downstairs and placed Harry on the couch beside the fire just as Mr Weasley, Sera, Tonks and Remus came in with Mrs Weasley talking quickly and hysterically behind them. Remus, Tonks and Mr Weasley had arrived while Sirius and Mrs Weasley had been upstairs.  
  
"We'll take him to St Mungos" Remus said. "That's the best place. I'm sorry you cant come too Sirius" he said softly.  
  
Sirius nodded and looked down at Harry anxiously. Fear gripped his heart as he placed Harry into Mr Weasley's arms and Tonks led Mr Weasley and Remus out to the car. Sirius watched from the doorway as they sped him away to St Mungos. He soon dragged himself away from the door and sat beside Sera in the living room. He was so cold inside from seeing Harry in that he almost thought that there were dementors around the house. He hoped that Harry would be alright. His insides were full of fear for Harry, and for himself. He was scared of what he would do if anything happened to Harry. 


	11. Chapter 11 St Mungos

Chapter 11 - St Mungos  
  
The mood around number 12 Grimmauld place was subdued and quite. Mrs Weasley had convinced Bill to take Ron home to the burrow. Fred and George were usually busy at their store and dropped around only for news of Harry. Order meetings had become few and far between as no one really had the heart for business under the current circumstances. Order members took it in turns going to St Mungos and staying with Harry, waiting for any signs of him waking up.  
  
The doctors had examined Harry when they had taken him to St Mungos, and determined that the illness Harry suffered was self inflicted and resulted from not eating. The nurses had cured the fever in an instant, but Harry wouldn't wake. Sirius was riddled with guilt for not having come back sooner. He knew that the reason Harry was not getting better was that he had given up. He knew that if he had just gotten back sooner, that Harry would have been alright.  
  
"How is he?" Sirius asked as soon as Remus walked in the door.  
  
Remus looked tired and extremely worried.  
  
"There's been no change" he said softly.  
  
Sirius sank back into the chair and put his head in his hands. Remus looked down at his friend with a mixture of sympathy and worry. He knew that the reason that Sirius had fought death itself to come back for Harry. He worried what his friend would do if something happened to Harry.  
  
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Harry was in a dark room. He looked around, but could see nothing that would tell him where he was. He tried to move, but he couldn't. Every inch of his body felt like it was being stabbed with white hot daggers. He saw the door open and Voldemort walked in. His red eyes looked down at Harry gleefully. He began laughing. Harry shuddered.  
  
"Crucio" Voldemort cried.  
  
The pain intensified. Harry couldn't stand the pain anymore. He wanted to die. Voldemort removed the curse from Harry and Harry laid on the floor, gasping for breath. Voldemort's high pitched laugh changed to a female's laugh. Harry looked up and saw that it was no longer Voldmort, but Bellatrix Lestrange. He felt anger seize his heart.  
  
"Aw, did baby Potter love my worthless cousin" she mocked him.  
  
Harry tried to lunge at Bellatrix, but couldn't move. Bellatrix laughed harder. Harry could hear a loud beeping sound, but couldn't make out where it was coming from. Bellatrix lifted her wand and pointed it at him  
  
"Crucio" she yelled.  
  
Harry's body filled with pain again. The beeping got louder. Harry opened his eyes to see where the beeping was coming from. He realised that his eyes were blurry. He couldn't move, his whole body felt like lead. His head was spinning and he stopped trying to move and closed his eyes. After the spinning stopped, he opened his eyes again and turned his head.  
  
He looked over to where the beeping noise was coming from. A small box attached to a large pole was beeping. Above the box, there was a bag of liquid and a small tube hanging down underneath it. He followed the tube with his eyes and gasped when he realised that the other end of the tube was inside his arm, held on by a clear piece of tape. He heard footsteps and the curtain was pulled back. A very worried looking Remus stood there. He looked at Harry for a moment and Harry saw relief flood his face.  
  
"He's awake!" Remus called out and Harry heard more hurried footsteps.  
  
Tonks and Mrs Weasley appeared beside Remus. Both of them looked as if they hadn't slept in days.  
  
"Thank goodness you're alright Harry! We've been so worried!" Mrs Weasley said as she ran over to him and hugged him tightly.  
  
Harry felt his head spinning and closed his eyes. Remus noticed this  
  
"Molly, leave him be, he isn't well" he said softly.  
  
Molly let Harry go and he sank back into the pillows. He opened his eyes again and saw that Mrs Weasley had tears in her eyes. Tonks came up beside him.  
  
"Wotcher Harry" she said in a cheerful, but quiet voice. She smiled at Harry, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. She was still worried about Harry. He had grown so thin since the previous summer, and considering that he had been too skinny the previous summer, that was saying something. A nurse came bustling into the ward and saw that Harry was awake. She ushered the three visitors out and attended to Harry. Once she was done, she came out to see the three anxious people waiting at the door. Her face was grim.  
  
"I'll get the doctor to see him tonight. Go in and see him now, but he's very weak. If he goes to sleep, then just let him be. It's better that he rests" she said softly.  
  
The three of them nodded and approached Harry's bed cautiously.  
  
Harry lying back on the pillows with his eyes closed. He heard them come in, and his eyes sprang open again. He looked at them with sad eyes.  
  
"How are you feeling Harry?" asked Mrs Weasley softly.  
  
Harry felt tears welling in his eyes, but blinked them away. He shrugged slightly, though it took most of the little energy he had to do it. He didn't feel like talking to anyone about what he was going through.  
  
"Well Harry, I'm sorry I have to leave you, but there's a lot of other people who are worried about you at the moment, and I'd best get back and tell them you're finally awake" Remus said quietly.  
  
Harry looked up at him, finally willing to talk.  
  
"How long have I been out for?" he asked.  
  
"3 days" Mrs Weasley said quietly, straightening his covers in a motherly sort of way.  
  
"Everyone's been very worried about you dear. You gave us all quite a fright" she added.  
  
"Molly, you'd best be getting home too. There are some.. arrangements.. .that need to be made for when Harry gets out" Remus said quietly.  
  
Harry looked at him, but didn't question. He didn't care about what Remus was talking about or that he was being left out. All he cared about was that Sirius was dead. Molly nodded and got up. Tonks sat beside Harry as Remus and Mrs Weasley bade Harry farewell and left the room.  
  
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"Sirius?" came a quiet voice from the doorway.  
  
Sirius recognised the voice and turned slowly as Mel walked into the room. She was holding a cup of tea, which she handed him. He sighed and accepted it gratefully.  
  
"What are you doing out here?" she asked softly.  
  
He turned back to look over the backyard.  
  
"Thinking" he replied.  
  
There was silence for a few moments.  
  
"I'm worried about you" she said so softly that he almost didn't catch it.  
  
He turned to face her once again.  
  
"I thought you didn't care" he said earnestly, his face was expressionless, but his eyes betrayed the hope that he was keeping hidden within himself.  
  
"I always cared" she said softly, turning her head as she walked over to the seat on the small veranda.  
  
His eyes suddenly became cold.  
  
"Really? You cared? But that didn't stop you going and sleeping with someone the minute I left did it?" he said bitterly.  
  
She looked up at him with sad eyes. She surveyed him for a moment. He was so frail. She had never seen him like this before.  
  
"I didn't" she said softly.  
  
His eyes flashed with anger.  
  
"Don't lie to me! You told me when the first night I got back that Megan wasn't mine. How can that be if you didn't sleep with someone else?" he spat at her.  
  
Tears began running down Mel's face.  
  
"I lied to you" she admitted softly.  
  
"Damn straight" he said. "Who is her father anyway?"  
  
She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. She raised her eyes to meet his.  
  
"You" she said softly.  
  
Sirius' expression dropped into astonishment, but quickly hardened again.  
  
"You're lying" he said suddenly. "You just feel sorry for me because of Harry"  
  
Mel took another shaky breath and stood up. She walked towards him and placed her hand under his chin so that he was forced to look straight into her eyes. He could see nothing but sincerity in them.  
  
"She's your daughter." Mel said softly. "If you don't believe me, take look for yourself. She looks just like you"  
  
He was silent for a moment, a look of awe on his face. He closed his eyes trying to gather the information.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked her.  
  
"I was afraid that you would leave us again. I didn't want Megan to go through what I went through after you left" she said simply. She let go of him and turned to go back inside, but he grabbed her arm.  
  
"Mel" he said softly.  
  
She looked into his eyes and could see his yearning for her. She pulled out of his grasp.  
  
"I can't go through it again" she said softly and with a swish of her robes, she had gone back inside.  
  
Sirius sighed and leaned again the railing, trying to pull his thoughts together. He sensed someone behind him and looked up. It was Remus.  
  
"Harry woke up" Remus said after a moment.  
  
Relief flooded through Sirius and he sank back onto the chair. He gave a loud, husky laugh to stop the tears of relief that threatened to spill. Remus seemed to sense that Sirius would like to be alone and walked back inside again. Sirius put his head in his hands, though this time, he was happy. He just wished that he could go and see Harry. 


	12. Chapter 12 Guilt and Punishment

Chapter 12 - Guilt and Punishment  
  
Harry was staring at the wall when Hermione, Ginny and Ron walked in. He looked up at them slowly and noticed that they were smiling, but the smiles seemed fixed on their faces. The smiles didn't reach their eyes. He could see shock and pity and he hated them for it. He looked back at the wall.  
  
"How are you feeling?" asked Hermione cautiously.  
  
"Fine" Harry said, still looking away from them.  
  
He didn't want to talk, he just wanted to be alone.  
  
"They've sent us away" Ron blurted out, making Ginny and Hermione glare at him.  
  
Harry looked up curiously.  
  
"Ginny and Hermione went to Hermione's house for a few weeks and I had to go back to the burrow with Bill" he added, ignoring the glares from the girls.  
  
Harry's interest waned and he stared at the wall again.  
  
There was silence again. There was no one else in this ward. The other beds stood empty. There were footsteps coming towards them. Harry sighed as the mediwitch came in.  
  
"Harry!" she said cheerfully. "Good to see you're awake. I'm afraid that I'm going to have to ask the three of you to leave so that I can examine the patient" she added, looking at Ginny, Ron and Hermione.  
  
"We have to go back now. We'll come and see you tomorrow" Hermione assured him.  
  
He merely nodded in response, not really caring one way or another as they left the room.  
  
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Mrs Weasley and Remus were sitting in the doctor's office waiting for the doctor to talk to them about Harry's condition. Mrs Weasley was thinking about Bill and wondering if he'd gotten Ron back safely to the burrow in order to distract her from worrying about Harry. Remus was picking at invisible lint on his shabby robes. The cheerful witch that had just seen Harry walked in and smiled at them.  
  
"Ah yes" she said. "You're here about Mr. Harry Potter, correct?"  
  
They both nodded.  
  
"So I take it you are his guardians?" she asked.  
  
Mrs Weasley and Remus looked at each other uncomfortably. Mrs Weasley couldn't think of anything to say, so Remus spoke up.  
  
"His guardians are unable to make it here. They asked us to come in their place. We're close friends" Remus said quietly.  
  
The mediwitch looked at him suspiciously.  
  
"I can only talk to you if you have a note from the parent or guardian of the patient" she said quickly.  
  
"His guardians are Sirius Black and Emmeline Potter. We're the ones looking after him at the moment" Remus said quietly.  
  
The witches eyes went wide.  
  
"Right then, well talking to the guardians is out of the question. I guess I'll have to talk to you then, just don't tell anyone or my jobs on the line" she said quickly.  
  
Remus and Mrs Weasley both nodded vigorously.  
  
"Harry's fine physically. It's emotionally that I'm concerned about him" she said, and paused to let it sink in.  
  
"How can he be fine? Look at him" Mrs Weasley said angrily.  
  
The witch put up her hand to stop the raging that would otherwise have taken place. Remus put a hand on Mrs Weasley's shoulder to calm her. She sat back reluctantly and let the mediwitch continue.  
  
"Yes, he look's terrible. He's been suffering. But I'm afraid that it's been self inflicted. He hasn't been eating and it's caused him to get sick. I think the reason that he didn't wake up for such a long time was more because he just didn't want to wake up" She said.  
  
Mrs Weasley gasped and put a hand to her mouth. Remus looked grave.  
  
"Has he been through any severe emotional blows in the last few months?" the witch asked, looking down at her papers, trying to make some sense of Harry's condition.  
  
"Yes" Remus said quietly. "He lost a friend"  
  
The witch looked up questioningly.  
  
"What do you mean by lost a friend?" she asked.  
  
"We all thought that this friend of his was dead until a few days ago, but by that time, Harry was already sick" Remus explained. The witch eyed him suspiciously.  
  
"Does this friend have a name?" she asked, her eyes narrowed.  
  
"Snuffles" Remus replied. "His dog" he added, noting the suspicious look that the witch was giving him.  
  
The witch sighed and began tidying the pile of papers in front of her.  
  
"Well, as soon as Harry starts eating again, we can take him off the drip and he can go home. I suggest that you tell him that the dog is alive and well, in case that is the reason that he's acting this way. If he doesn't start eating soon, I'll recommend that he be sent to a muggle hospital that deals with these issues. I have a friend who's a resident psychologist there who can probably help him." She said, getting up. "If you'll excuse me, I have a lot of work to do. You can go in and see him now"  
  
And with that, the witch left. Mrs Weasley looked very worried when she looked up at Remus.  
  
"Self inflicted?" she said in a whisper.  
  
Remus nodded sadly.  
  
"We need to tell him about Sirius" Remus said quietly.  
  
Mrs Weasley nodded.  
  
"I'm going to go back to headquarters and talk to Sirius. You go and see Harry. Don't tell him anything yet" Remus said.  
  
Mrs Weasley nodded and made her way to Harry's room. Remus sighed as he too got up and then apparated to the headquarters.  
  
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Megan was humming as she read through her transfiguration book. She didn't need to, as transfiguration was her best subject at school, but she had decided to anyway. She adjusted the large handkerchief that was wrapped around her braid to keep her hair in. She started singing sweetly. She heard a noise from the door and looked up suddenly. She stopped singing at once and stared at the newcomer cautiously.  
  
"Don't stop on my account. You sound lovely" Sirius said quietly.  
  
She did not continue, but tilted her head slightly and raised her eyebrows at him. He chuckled a little.  
  
"Quiet one aren't you?" he said, walking into the room.  
  
Her expression darkened a little as he sat down beside her. She moved away slightly and he sighed.  
  
"Did your mother tell you about me?" he asked, looking straight at the wall instead of at her.  
  
This seemed to make her a little less apprehensive.  
  
"She told me last night" Megan said in a shy voice.  
  
"And what did she say?" he asked her, looking at her now.  
  
She shuffled uncomfortably where she was sitting.  
  
"That you're my father." She replied, staring at the wall.  
  
Sirius smiled, noticing the same behavioural characteristics that his friends had always complained that he possessed.  
  
"How's Harry?" Megan asked. "No one's told me"  
  
"He's woken up. I haven't heard anything else" Sirius replied.  
  
"Can I go and see him?" she asked.  
  
Sirius nodded. They were both silent for a while.  
  
"I'm confused" She admitted softly.  
  
Sirius raised an eyebrow questioningly at her.  
  
"About what?" he asked. Her deep brown eyes met his own.  
  
"I was told you were worthless. That you were scum. That I was a horrid child for taking after you and being put into Gryffindor" she said, getting up slowly and walking towards the door.  
  
His eyebrow furrowed. She turned as she reached the doorway.  
  
"But you're not. Not that I can tell anyway. You seem to be a wonderful and caring man."  
  
With that, she left the room. Sirius stared after her for a moment, broodingly, before getting up to go and find Mel.  
  
"Sirius"  
  
Sirius turned around just as he got out of the room. It was Remus.  
  
"How's Harry?" Sirius asked immediately.  
  
All thoughts of confronting Mel had vanished from his head.  
  
Remus explained to Sirius what the mediwitch had told him. Sirius closed his eyes.  
  
"This is my fault" Sirius said. "He's doing this because he feels guilty about me"  
  
"He might be doing this because of you, but that isn't your fault Sirius. The important thing at the moment is to get him out of it."  
  
"How are we going to do that?" Sirius asked.  
  
"We'll tell him that you're still alive" Remus replied.  
  
"NO!" Sirius said suddenly, then realising how loud he was, he lowered his voice. "I want him to find out when he gets here"  
  
"I know you do Sirius, but he's in a bad way. I don't see any other alternative."  
  
"I have an alternative" Mel said, walking up to them both.  
  
Sirius stiffened at the sight of her.  
  
"What did you tell Megan about me?" he demanded, the conversation that he'd had with his daughter coming back swiftly with the sight of Mel.  
  
Mel looked at him strangely.  
  
"Only that you were her father. I've never spoken about you before last night" she replied smoothly.  
  
Sirius looked as if he was going to argue but Remus intervened.  
  
"Now is not the time or place" he said. Sirius bit back what he was about to say and merely glared at her. "Now Mel, you had a suggestion?"  
  
"I was going to suggest taking Megan to go and see him. She went through a similar experience when she was 13 and I think that she is in the best position to talk to him" Mel said softly.  
  
"What caused that?" Sirius asked, confused. Mel's eyes became sad.  
  
"I don't know. She never told me." Mel said quietly.  
  
Remus, deciding that this was a sensitive topic, continued.  
  
"So do you think that she'll want to go?" he asked.  
  
"Yes she will" Sirius said quickly.  
  
Mel gave him a strange look.  
  
"I was talking to her before and she said that she wanted to go and see Harry" he added.  
  
Mel nodded.  
  
"Right then. Now that's settled, I might go and get her now" Remus said.  
  
"No, you shouldn't" Mel said.  
  
Remus stopped and stared at her questioningly.  
  
"I'd best go with you. She doesn't like men very much" she added quietly.  
  
Remus raised his eyebrows at her, but didn't object. They both left Sirius to go and find Megan.  
  
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"There you are Megan" Mel said, walking into the drawing room with Remus at her side.  
  
Megan's smile turned to a frown and she stared warily at Remus. Mel saw this but didn't comment. She knew there was no point. She had never been able to understand the way her daughter treated men, and though at times she was thankful, she couldn't help but wonder what had brought the behaviour about. She sighed.  
  
"Sirius tells me you wanted to go and see Harry" Mel said. Megan nodded, not taking her eyes off Remus.  
  
Remus felt quite uncomfortable under her gaze, but tried not to show it.  
  
"Remus is going back to the hospital to see Harry now. If you want to go, he'll take you. I have to run an errand for Professor Dumbledore" Mel said.  
  
Megan paled a little, but folded her arms and nodded resolutely.  
  
"Lead the way" she said to Remus in a small timid voice.  
  
She was still staring warily at him and he frowned, but motioned for her to follow him and walked out the door. Mel watched them as they headed downstairs and sighed again. She wished that she could understand her daughter, but knew from painful experience what would happen if she pressed her daughter for answers. She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice that someone else was in the hallway, making their way towards her.  
  
"Mel?" Sirius asked softly.  
  
She started.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't see you" she said.  
  
His eyebrows furrowed.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked.  
  
Mel realised that she was crying. She plastered a smile on her face and wiped the tears.  
  
"Nothing at all. I'm fine, just being silly" she said.  
  
Sirius looked at her sceptically and put a hand on her shoulder. She felt a jolt of electricity run through her as a result of the contact and felt furious with herself for still being affected by him.  
  
"You're not fine" he said, leading her into the drawing room and pushing her down into a chair.  
  
"Now, tell me what's wrong" Sirius said as he pulled up a chair and sat opposite her, his eyes boring into hers.  
  
She sighed, knowing that even after 15 years apart, he could still tell when she was lying to him and knowing that she would have to explain everything.  
  
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"We're going to need to take the car. Tonks is asleep, so I'm going to have to drive" Remus explained to Megan.  
  
Megan's eyes widened a little, but she nodded. Her lips were pursed together and she was quite pale, as if going to face her worst fear.  
  
"Why are you so scared around me?" Remus found himself asking.  
  
She looked up at him again warily, then her expression dropped a little and she relaxed slightly. Remus felt relief flood over him.  
  
"It's nothing personal" she said tightly, as if it cost her to speak.  
  
Remus surveyed her for a moment, then sighed. Shaking his head, he led her to the car and opened the door for her. He quickly got in his own side and noticed that she wasn't wearing a seatbelt. He reached over to put her seatbelt on her, but she stiffened, then shrank back from his touch. His eyebrows raised, and she suddenly looked panicked.  
  
"I'm not going to hurt you" he said softly, looking hurt and confused.  
  
"I know, it's just I can do it myself" she said, a little more confidently than she looked.  
  
Remus thought for a moment.  
  
"Is it because I'm a werewolf?" he asked quietly.  
  
Her eyes widened and she looked him dead in the face.  
  
"I didn't know you were a werewolf" she said, surprised.  
  
Remus was suddenly worried. He didn't know how she'd react to the news, but she smiled and he relaxed.  
  
"Alright then, so what's wrong?" he asked, immediately regretting it.  
  
The faint glimmer of friendliness that he had gotten out of her vanished without a trace. Her eyes became dark and her expression cold. He was instantly reminded of Sirius.  
  
"It doesn't matter" she said in an icy tone, and he knew that the conversation was over.  
  
Remus nodded, still looking a little confused as he started the car. 


	13. Chapter 13 Confessions

Chapter 13 - confessions  
  
Mel looked up at Sirius and sighed again.  
  
"It's Megan" she said.  
  
Sirius nodded.  
  
"That much I gathered. What about her?" he asked gently.  
  
Mel felt all the anguish and guilt from the past 4 years coming back to her as she looked into his eyes.  
  
"She wont talk to me" Mel said softly, her eyes filling with tears once again.  
  
"Teenagers get like that" Sirius said softly, reflecting on his past experience with Harry.  
  
Mel shook her head.  
  
"No, you don't understand. Before she went to school she was such a happy little girl. She was loud and boisterous. You would have been proud" Mel said, wiping tears away from her eyes as she gave a faint laugh.  
  
Sirius smiled.  
  
"But then everything changed. It was not long after she came home. She went all quiet. She started having nightmares. She wouldn't talk to me about what was going on" Mel said, feeling relief at being able to tell someone.  
  
She had kept it inside so long, she hadn't known how much it hurt her. Sirius nodded understandingly.  
  
"Then when she came back after her 3rd year, she was so depressed. She wouldn't talk, she wouldn't eat. I was so scared" Mel said, her voice ending in a whisper as she choked back tears.  
  
She finally started sobbing and Sirius stood up and pulled her into an embrace. She clung to him, sobbing into his chest.  
  
"I thought she was going to die" Mel said, at last voicing the fear that had plagued her for the past year.  
  
Sirius held her tightly. Despite their past, he wanted nothing more than to take away any pain that she was suffering. He kissed away the tears on her face and she looked into his eyes again. He took this as an invitation and kissed her lips. Softly at first. Reassuringly. She melted into the embrace and the kiss became a little more passionate. Sirius pulled her closer to him, but she pulled away.  
  
She looked up at him with scared eyes. Like a deer that is frozen, staring at the headlights of a car. She ran her hands nervously along her robes, straightening them. She looked up at him and saw the passion in his eyes that had been there when they first got married. Part of her wanted to run back into his arms, but the stronger part of her resisted. It remembered how he had left her. It remembered that she had Megan to think about now, not just herself. She couldn't do it.  
  
"I'm sorry Sirius" she said softly as she walked out of the room and closed the door behind her with a soft click.  
  
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Remus led Megan to Harry's room. When he got to the door, they both saw Mrs Weasley walking out. She looked very tired.  
  
"Oh, hello dear" she said to Megan, giving her a warm hug.  
  
Megan smiled shyly at her.  
  
"Go on in, he's awake. I've just ducked out for a cup of coffee. Did you want to join me Remus?" Mrs Weasley asked.  
  
Remus nodded and motioned for her to lead the way. With a smile and a wave, the two of them left Megan to go and see Harry by herself. She crept along quietly until she was just behind the curtain to Harry's bed. She peered around it and saw Harry reading a book. He looked very pale and thin. His face was bony and he had the look of someone who is constantly ill. She felt pity swell within her, remembering a time when she too, had thought the only way to make the pain go away was to disappear.  
  
She crept forward and stood beside the bed. He looked up when he sensed someone else in the room and gave a start of surprise when he saw her standing there. He surveyed her curiously. Her dark hair had been pulled back into a braid, with a purple scarf tied around her head like a gypsy. She wore black robes, similar to the school uniform, but without the Hogwarts crest. Her eyes stared straight into his. They were dark, and deep. They reminded him of Sirius' and Sera's eyes. The most startling thing about her though, was that she was smiling.  
  
He realised he had never seen her smile properly. He had to admit to himself, that smiling made her look quite attractive. He blushed slightly at this thought and looked back down at his book. She walked over to the bed next to him and pulled the book away from him.  
  
"How are you feeling?" she asked in a quiet, but cheerful voice.  
  
Harry looked at her suspiciously. In the whole time he had known her, he had never known her to be cheerful. Then again, he admitted. He hadn't known her for very long at all.  
  
"I'm fine" he said, looking away as he had done with the others.  
  
"No you're not" she said, staring straight at him. "You blame yourself. You feel like if you waste yourself away to nothing that the pain will ease up"  
  
Harry look at her again.  
  
"What do you know?" he said angrily. "You barely know me!"  
  
"I know you better than you think" she said, remaining calm.  
  
Her eyes were boring into his, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.  
  
"Running away from the pain won't ease it Harry. I would know" she added softly.  
  
"You don't understand" Harry hissed at her. "You don't know what I'm going through"  
  
"No, I don't presume to know exactly what you're going through Harry. But I do know what it's like to have your world crumbling around you. To feel like there is no escape and you have no control over anything that goes on around you. To want so badly for the pain to stop that you will do anything, even harm yourself, to make it go away" she said softly.  
  
Harry's expression went completely blank. He slumped back onto the pillows and looked at the wall, not saying anything.  
  
"But you don't see what you're doing to the people around you. You don't see how much the people who care about you are suffering" she added softly.  
  
He looked back at her.  
  
"They won't suffer for long. They just feel sorry for me" he said quietly, pulling his knees up to his chin and wrapping his thin arms around them.  
  
Megan jumped up on the bed next to him and leaned forward until her face was merely inches from his own. She looked deep into his eyes, as if searching for something.  
  
"I don't feel sorry for you" she said softly. "And I don't believe that the only reason they care is because they feel sorry for you either."  
  
"All I do is cause pain, wherever I go. They're better off without me" Harry said, his eyes filling with tears.  
  
He looked away to hide them.  
  
"And yet these people love you in spite of that. Why do you think that is?" she asked him gently.  
  
Harry shook his head, not wanting to talk.  
  
"Because despite the pain that you bring as a result of things you can't help, you bring happiness to those around you in the things you can." She said.  
  
He looked up at her confused. She smiled at him.  
  
"You make people happy Harry, whether you want to believe that or not" she whispered.  
  
"I killed Sirius and Cedric. It's my fault that they are dead. I don't want to cause any more deaths" Harry said in a very quiet voice.  
  
Megan shook her head.  
  
"You didn't cause those deaths. The blame lies with Voldemort" she said.  
  
Harry looked up at her surprised. Not many could say the name without at least a shiver, but she seemed not to care.  
  
"It's not your fault" she said.  
  
Harry covered his face with his hands. She repeated it louder and he began to sob. She pulled him out of the ball and hugged him tightly as he cried, repeating the words over and over until they finally sunk in. When Harry finally stopped crying they looked at each other for a moment.  
  
"Now then, I'm hungry. What have you got around here to eat?" she asked with a grin.  
  
Harry grinned back in spite of himself. He felt a lot better after talking about what had been on his mind the entire holidays. Megan managed to find a box of chocolates underneath a pile of get well cards on Harry's bedside table.  
  
"Now, they're your chocolate's so you have the first one" she said, offering him the box.  
  
Harry laughed and took one. They continued to talk and to eat the small chocolates, unaware that there were three figures in the doorway, staring at them. Mrs Weasley and Remus were smiling, but Mel had a look of utter astonishment on her face. She had not seen her daughter in this type of situation with a boy since she was 11 years old. She felt a hand on her arm and noticed it was Remus.  
  
"I think maybe we should go up for another coffee" he whispered with a small smile.  
  
Mel nodded, taking one more look at Megan and Harry before allowing Remus to steer her towards the elevator. 


	14. Chapter 14 The troublesome Trio

Chapter 14 - The Troublesome Trio  
  
"Emily?" Sera called, knocking on the door to Emily's room.  
  
Emily had been locked up in there for days and none of them had seen anything of her. Sera had gotten a little concerned.  
  
"Emily?" she tried again.  
  
Still there was no answer.  
  
"Allohamora" she said, pointing her wand at the lock.  
  
The door sprung open. Sera smiled to herself. If Emily wanted privacy, she would have locked the door properly so that no one could gain access as simply as that.  
  
"Emily?" she called.  
  
The room was dark, but Sera could see well enough to know that it was empty. She sighed slightly as she walked into the room. The window was open and she walked over to close it. She jumped when a cat jumped in. The cat stared at her accusingly and sat down.  
  
"You scared the living daylights out of me Emily" Sera scolded.  
  
The cat quickly changed back into the human form of Emily and looked at her with a small grin.  
  
"You shouldn't have been poking around in my room if you didn't want to be scared" she said, a mischievous.  
  
Sera rolled her eyes, but grinned none the less.  
  
"How's Harry?" Emily asked, concern filling her eyes.  
  
Sera sighed.  
  
"I think Megan going to see him did him some good. Molly said that he's doing much better now. He's eating again" Sera replied.  
  
Emily smiled.  
  
"It's started already" she said softly.  
  
"What's started?" Sera asked, puzzled.  
  
"Never mind" Emily said quickly, smiling to herself.  
  
She looked up at Sera.  
  
"So, we're only missing one trio member" Emily said quietly.  
  
Sera frowned.  
  
"Somehow I don't think she'll be as likely to cause trouble with us anymore. She's a teacher at Hogwarts now did you know?" Sera said quietly.  
  
Emily waved it away.  
  
"Minor detail" Emily said. "She's still one of the troublesome trio, and she swore an oath to it. She hasn't given either of us away has she?"  
  
"No, but she did register" Sera pointed out.  
  
Emily sighed.  
  
"Well how about you and I go for a wander. I'm sure that you're as sick of being stuck in this place as I am" Emily said.  
  
Sera looked longingly outside.  
  
"I feel sorry for Sirius. He can't go anywhere" Sera said sadly.  
  
Emily nodded gravely, but the grave face turned into a mischievous grin once again.  
  
"But you still can" she said.  
  
Sera grinned too and nodded. She carefully closed the door behind her and locked it with a spell. She turned and noticed a black cat with golden circles around its eyes. She smiled and then she too transformed. The two cats ran over to the window and jumped out. They landed on the street and began walking down it, trying to see what mischief they could get themselves into tonight.  
  
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Sirius looked up when he heard someone cough at the door to the drawing room. Unable to find his sister or Emily, he had taken refuge there while the others were gone. He looked around to find the source of the cough and found Megan standing in the doorway. She looked apprehensive about entering and he motioned for her to come forward. She was hesitant, but soon walked in and sat down on a chair opposite him.  
  
"Harry's coming home soon" she said softly. "I thought you might want to know"  
  
Sirius looked at her stunned.  
  
"But I thought he wasn't eating" Sirius said slowly.  
  
She shrugged.  
  
"He is now" she said, looking around the room and holding the edge of the chair nervously.  
  
"How'd you do it?" He asked after a moment.  
  
This seemed to get her attention. For the first time, she looked him straight in the eye. Sirius found it unnerving. He shuffled uncomfortably on the seat.  
  
"What makes you think I had anything to do with it?" she asked evenly.  
  
"Call it a hunch" he said. She sighed.  
  
"I just talked to him" she said simply. "I think he just needed someone to tell him that it wasn't his fault"  
  
"Hasn't anyone told him that?" Sirius asked, confused.  
  
She smiled slightly.  
  
"Not anyone who wasn't close to him" she said. "I think he just needed to hear it from someone else"  
  
"You didn't tell him about me did you?" Sirius asked suddenly.  
  
She shook her head, getting up as she did so and walking to the door.  
  
"No, your secret is safe. He'll find out when he gets back" she replied, and with that, she closed the door behind her with a soft click.  
  
Sirius stared after her. She had a habit of ending their conversations in this way.  
  
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Mel was waiting at St Mungos with Remus. They had been waiting to see the mediwitch about Harry for the past 2 hours, but she was too busy doing her rounds to come and see them. Mel fiddled nervously with something attached to a chain on her neck. Remus noticed that it made a slight clinking noise while she toyed with it.  
  
"What is that?" he asked curiously.  
  
She looked at him bewildered, then noticed where he was staring and put the chain back into her robes, hiding it from view.  
  
"It's nothing" she said, looking away.  
  
Remus frowned, but decided that he didn't want to start a fight right now, so he let it be. Finally the mediwitch approached them. The mediwitch smiled at them.  
  
"You're here about Mr Harry Potter are you?" she asked cheerfully.  
  
They both nodded. She grinned broadly at him.  
  
"Remarkable recovery" she said. "He can go home this afternoon"  
  
Remus and Mel both let out sighs of relief.  
  
"But you'll have to keep him rested. No excitement for a few days. Keep him quiet. He is still very weak" she said sternly.  
  
After Remus assured her that it wouldn't be a problem, he and Mel went to go and see Harry.  
  
Harry looked up as they walked in and smiled. Remus marvelled at how Megan had managed to cheer him up. He shook his head slightly at the thought as he sat down beside Harry.  
  
"How are you Harry?" he asked, concerned.  
  
Harry smiled again.  
  
"I'm feeling a lot better now" he said.  
  
Remus nodded.  
  
"Did the mediwitch tell you the news?" Remus asked.  
  
Harry looked at him confused.  
  
"You're coming back with us this afternoon" Mel said happily.  
  
Harry grinned. He couldn't wait to get out of there. The hospital had become quite boring and he longed to get out.  
  
"Well, I'll go back and get you a fresh change of clothes so that you don't have to stay in those pyjamas" Remus said, getting up.  
  
Mel sat down beside Harry and picked up a magazine. Harry was used to people sitting by him. He had someone from the order sitting with him 24 hours a day, just in case something happened.  
  
"Is Megan still at the hideout?" Harry asked quietly.  
  
Mel looked up from the magazine and smiled at him.  
  
"Yes, that's right. You've taken quite a shine to her haven't you?" she asked playfully.  
  
Harry blushed slightly.  
  
"Yes, she's still there. She'll be there until Hogwarts starts again" Mel said, looking down at the magazine in front of her.  
  
Harry sighed and leaned back into the pillows. He couldn't wait to go back to Grimmauld Place.  
  
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"You do realise what you're risking by showing yourself to him don't you" Dumbledore asked, peering at Sirius over the top of his half moon spectacles.  
  
Sirius nodded.  
  
"He's sick. He needs me. I am his godfather after all." Sirius replied simply.  
  
Dumbledore nodded.  
  
"I hope that everything will work out for the best" Dumbledore said softly.  
  
There was a noise from the other room and Sirius quickly stood up. His ran his hands nervously along his robes to smooth out any wrinkles as he heard the footsteps approaching. Remus entered first. Harry followed him closely. Sirius saw Harry smiling widely, but the smile soon faded as his eyes landed on Sirius. Harry went pale and stared, wide eyed, at his godfather.  
  
"Hello Harry" Sirius said calmly.  
  
Harry let out a slow, rattling breath. He looked towards Remus, as if wanting confirmation that this was real. That Sirius was really standing there, alive and well, right in front of him.  
  
Remus gave a small nod of reassurance and Harry looked back at Sirius. Their eyes met. Sirius saw the emotions passing behind Harry's eyes. He made a step towards Harry, but Harry beat him to it. Sirius found Harry hugging him tightly and let out a laugh of relief. Harry was alright again. He felt the heavy burden that he had been carrying since he had realised Harry was ill, fall off him. He had never felt so light and carefree.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?" Harry scolded Remus as soon as they had pulled apart.  
  
Remus was saved a response by Sirius.  
  
"When I got here you were already sick" Sirius said quietly. "We decided not to tell you until you were well for a few reasons, the main one being that you were quite ill and we didn't know how you would take the news. You gave us all quite a fright you know"  
  
Sirius raised a hand and ruffled Harry's hair. Harry laughed, but quickly stopped and stared at Sirius with a sad expression.  
  
"Why did you keep me waiting? I called out to you, and you never answered" Harry said, his eyes filling with tears as he remembered the incident from the previous year.  
  
Remus also looked at Sirius curiously, for Sirius had not yet told anyone about how he had mysteriously survived when no one else had come back alive. Sirius sighed deeply, knowing that he would now have to tell them everything. He motioned for them both to sit at the table. He poured himself some butterbeer from a flagon on the table. He downed the glass in one go and then stared at the two people opposite him, who were both fixing him with curious stares. He sighed again, put down the glass, and took a deep breath.  
  
Sirius launched straight into an explanation of the room, of the voices that he'd heard, finding out that it was Lily, James and Mrs Potter talking to him. He explained about the difficulties of getting out. He kept going until he reached the part about realising that the way out was over 5 meters above him. Harry and Remus sat enthralled up to this point. Sirius stopped and took another glass of butterbeer. Harry looked at him impatiently.  
  
"Well how did you get to the door then?" Harry asked impatiently.  
  
Sirius looked down at him with concern.  
  
"I'm not sure if I should tell you that Harry" Sirius said softly.  
  
Harry's eyebrows furrowed.  
  
"Why not?" He demanded.  
  
Sirius sighed.  
  
"Because it means that I would have to tell you something about James that would give you a bad impression of him. James was a good man. The best. I don't want to tell you something that will make you lose respect for him" Sirius explained.  
  
Harry's eyes narrowed.  
  
"I want to know" he said.  
  
Sirius looked up at Remus. A look of comprehension dawned over his face. Harry noticed this.  
  
"What? What is that you're not telling me?" he asked, his voice raised slightly.  
  
Remus looked nervously from Harry to Sirius. Sirius put a hand through his hair nervously.  
  
"He's been kept in the dark enough, Sirius. Tell him" came a voice from the corner. Harry jumped in surprise.  
  
He had not seen Dumbledore standing in the corner of the room. Sirius nodded his head gravely. He thought for a moment about how to word what he was going to say.  
  
"When your father and I were at Hogwarts, we needed to find a spell that could make a person as light as a feather. We managed to develop it by the end of our first year" Sirius said cautiously looking at Harry as he spoke.  
  
Harry knew that Sirius was deliberately keeping things out of the story, but let him continue on none the less.  
  
"The spell was quite advanced. To this day, I still don't know how we pulled it off. But then again, Lily helped us a lot and she was possibly the smartest witch I've ever met" Sirius said.  
  
Harry's eyes widened.  
  
"But I thought mum and dad didn't get along at Hogwarts" he blurted out.  
  
Sirius chuckled.  
  
"No, I'd say it was because of that spell actually" he said.  
  
Harry looked at him curiously and Sirius stopped laughing immediately and looked at Harry nervously again.  
  
"Anyway" he continued before Harry could ask more questions. "The spell was not only good for making a person as light as a feather, we found that it was good to help you to jump higher than you would normally be able to. Basically, I cast the spell on myself when I heard the door being opened, changed back into my dog form and lept out the door"  
  
Harry looked at him stunned.  
  
"And that's all?" he asked, clearly thinking that it should have been much more complicated.  
  
"Basically" Sirius said.  
  
Harry thought for a few moments, taking in all the information.  
  
"What did you need the spell for?" Harry asked.  
  
Sirius bit his lip and looked nervously at Remus again.  
  
"I think we should leave it there for today Harry" Remus said softly. "You're looking quite pale again and we don't want to have you back in St Mungos when there's only 2 weeks until school starts again"  
  
Harry gave him a murderous glare, but nodded and let himself be led upstairs by Remus. Sirius put his head in his hands, letting out a sigh of relief.  
  
"Harry isn't as judgemental as you might think Sirius" Dumbledore said softly. "If you explain to him how his father was after school too, then I don't think Harry will think badly of James"  
  
Sirius nodded slightly, his head still in his hands. Dumbledore bid him farewell and left. Sirius sat there for a moment, before going up to check on Harry. 


	15. Chapter 15 A Birthday Party

Chapter 15 - A Birthday Party  
  
A few days had gone past since Harry had come out of hospital. Sirius crept upstairs every night while Harry was asleep to check on him. He walked back down to the kitchen after one of these instances and found that Mel was the only person in the room. They hadn't spoken since the incident in the drawing room and Sirius felt a little uncomfortable. He hovered in the doorway for a moment wondering whether it would be alright to enter when she looked up over her mug of tea.  
  
"You can come in. I won't bite" she said softly, turning once again to look at the wall.  
  
Sirius sighed and walked in to get himself a cup of tea. When he had finished making it, he sat down opposite Mel and slowly sipped it. There was silence for a few moments.  
  
"It's Megan's birthday next week" Mel said softly.  
  
Sirius looked up with raised eyebrows. He realised that he had never known her actual birthday.  
  
"On Monday. She'll be 15." Mel added.  
  
Sirius nodded, going back to his drink.  
  
"Maybe we could have a little party. I'm sure Molly wouldn't mind baking a cake. Harry missed his birthday too, maybe we could have a joint party" Sirius said.  
  
Mel nodded and looked the other way, towards the wall. She reached up to her neck and pulled the chain out from under her robes. She began to play with the objects on the end thoughtfully again, a habit that she had developed over the years. Sirius noticed and looked at it curiously. Mel didn't seem to notice. She was looking the other way. Sirius stared intently at the necklace. His eyes widened in surprise and he gasped when he realised what was on the chain.  
  
Mel heard the gasp and looked over at him. It took only a moment for her to register what he'd been looking at. She flushed slightly and got up to leave the room. Sirius got up and grabbed her arm before she could get out the door.  
  
"You kept them? All this time?" he asked in disbelief.  
  
Mel folded her arms and looked away. Sirius reached towards her neck and pulled out the chain with two rings hanging off it.  
  
"How long have you been wearing these around your neck?" he asked softly.  
  
Mel looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears.  
  
"Since you were sent to Azkaban. They sent me your ring, and I put them both on the chain" she said very softly.  
  
A tear ran down her face and Sirius raised a hand to wipe it off her cheek, but she pulled away from him.  
  
"Have you told Harry?" she asked.  
  
Sirius sighed.  
  
"No, not yet. I was planning to tell him when he wakes up" Sirius said.  
  
"About Megan too?" she asked.  
  
"About everything" Sirius replied.  
  
Mel nodded, looking at her watch.  
  
It was 6 am.  
  
"I have to go somewhere this morning" she said softly, not looking him in the eye.  
  
"Will you be alright to look after Megan and Harry by yourself? Molly's out shopping and I can't find Sera or Emily. Everyone else is doing things for the order" She added.  
  
"I'm sure we'll be fine. Where are you going?" he asked.  
  
"Does it matter?" she asked coldly.  
  
Sirius was taken aback.  
  
"Just in case there's a problem and I need to contact you" Sirius said slowly.  
  
Mel expression softened and she shook her head.  
  
"You won't. You'll be fine. I have to go, I'm late" she said, and walked out the door.  
  
Sirius stared after her for a few moments before heading upstairs.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------  
  
Mel sat blankly looking at her hands. She tried in vain to calm the nerves in her stomach. She could feel her heart beating hard in her chest, as if it were trying to escape her rib cage. Waiting had to be the hardest thing in the world, she thought to herself as she once again, took the wedding rings out of her robes and toyed with them.  
  
"Melarin Malfoy" came a voice from the counter.  
  
Her heart gave a jolt as she stood up and made her way over to the woman.  
  
"This room here" the woman instructed.  
  
Mel obediently entered the room that the woman had pointed to. A mediwizard was sitting in the room. Mel held her breath as she sat down. He gave her a faint smile, but it was not reassuring. The smile didn't reach his eyes, and it quickly turned grim. She felt her heart plummet.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------  
  
"Good morning" Sirius said brightly as he entered Harry's room carrying a tray.  
  
Harry grunted in reply and rubbed his eyes sleepily and gazed at the clock. It was 8 am.  
  
"How'd you sleep?" Sirius asked, giving Harry a concerned look as he placed the tray on the bedside table and sat down.  
  
"Fine" Harry said, looking at the tray. "Can I get up today? I'm sick of staying in bed!"  
  
Sirius looked at Harry for a moment. He had colour in his cheeks again and had put on a little weight in the last few days. Sirius smiled.  
  
"I guess it won't hurt to get you out of bed for a while. Just make sure you eat that first" Sirius said, nodding towards the tray of food.  
  
Harry looked at the humongous meal laid out on the tray and grimaced.  
  
"Alright" he said reluctantly as he picked up a slice of toast and stuffed it in his mouth.  
  
Sirius was silent for a moment while Harry ate.  
  
"Harry I need to talk to you about some things" he said.  
  
Harry looked up at him questioningly.  
  
"What things?" He asked, before grabbing a second piece of toast.  
  
"Mel and Megan for one" Sirius said.  
  
Harry stopped as he was about to take a bite out of the toast and looked at Sirius curiously.  
  
"What about them?" he asked.  
  
"Mel and I knew each other a long time ago" Sirius started.  
  
Harry nodded, still eating his toast.  
  
"We were married" Sirius blurted out suddenly.  
  
Harry choked on the toast. Sirius hit him on the back as he coughed. When Harry stopped coughing he spoke.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me before?" Harry asked, curiously.  
  
"Never came up" Sirius said honestly. "Before I came back here, I hadn't laid eyes on her since a few weeks before your parents died. We had a fight before I left"  
  
Harry thought about this for a moment.  
  
"What made you fight?" Harry asked.  
  
"She wanted me to stay in Ireland with her. Away from all the fighting. I wanted to help my friends" Sirius explained.  
  
Harry thought for a moment.  
  
"So Megan's your daughter?" he asked tentatively.  
  
Sirius nodded, watching Harry closely to gage his reaction.  
  
"So why didn't you go see her when you got out?" Harry asked, confused.  
  
"I didn't know she existed until I came here. Mel didn't tell me she was pregnant before I left" Sirius explained.  
  
Harry nodded his understanding.  
  
"Anything else I should know?" he asked.  
  
"Not for now" Sirius said, relieved that Harry wasn't mad at him.  
  
Harry smiled.  
  
"I've finished eating now, can I get up?" He asked.  
  
Sirius nodded and left the room so that Harry could get changed.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------  
  
That day, Dumbledore came over to talk to Emily. Harry thought that it was quite strange, but spent most of the day on the lounge in the sitting room. Sirius had told him he could get up, but demanded that he rest. After Dumbledore had finished speaking to Emily in private, they both came to see Harry.  
  
"How are you feeling Harry?" Dumbledore asked, concerned.  
  
"I'm fine Professor" Harry said. Dumbledore nodded his head.  
  
"Good." He said and paused for a moment. "Harry I want you to learn something different"  
  
Harry looked at him bewildered.  
  
"I want you to learn legilimens" Dumbledore said, staring down at him expectantly.  
  
Harry raised his eyebrows slightly.  
  
"But I couldn't learn occlumency. How am I supposed to learn Legilimens?" Harry asked, confused.  
  
"Emily is going to teach you" Dumbledore said. Harry raised his eyebrows. "Has anyone told you who Emily is?"  
  
Harry shook his head slowly.  
  
"Emily is your father's sister Harry. Your Aunt"  
  
"Why is it that I couldn't live with her then?" Harry asked.  
  
"Emily has been on the run from the ministry of magic since before you were born Harry" Dumbledore replied  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I was an unspeakable, and I know too much. When I quit the ministry they assumed that I had joined with You know who and put a bounty on my head, dead or alive" Emily said with a sad smile.  
  
"We'll start lessons this afternoon if you're up to it. We'll need to go through occlumency first though, but that shouldn't take long" she explained.  
  
"But I couldn't learn occlumency with Snape"  
  
"Professor Snape, Harry" Professor Dumbledore said quietly.  
  
"You haven't learnt it the way I teach it. I think you'll do quite well" Emily said with a smile.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------  
  
That afternoon, Harry was back in his room looking over his homework. There was a soft knock on the door and he looked up.  
  
"Come in" he said.  
  
The door opened and Emily walked in.  
  
"Hello Harry" she said softly.  
  
Harry sighed as he put down his work and looked at her.  
  
"Anything wrong?" she asked.  
  
"Why didn't anyone tell me about you?" He asked bitterly.  
  
She sighed.  
  
"A matter of necessity I'm afraid" she said softly. "I had to lose contact with everyone that I knew. Even my secret keeper had to stay away in case someone found out she was hiding me" she added sadly.  
  
"But why did you have to stay hidden? What makes you so important?" he demanded a little more angrily than he intended.  
  
"Calm down Harry. Anger won't make this any easier" she replied softly. "Once you have mastered occlumency, I will explain everything"  
  
Harry sighed and nodded resignedly.  
  
"Now get up" Emily instructed. Harry obeyed. "You'll find that I will start off much gentler than Professor Snape. We will progress to that level gradually, when you are ready"  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"Pick up your wand" she said.  
  
Harry looked at her quizzically. She sighed.  
  
"Professor Dumbledore arranged with the minister of magic for you to have these lessons. You are able to use magic outside of school provided that it is within the time frame of your lessons. Understand?"  
  
Harry nodded and picked up his wand.  
  
"But how can the ministry know? I thought they were after you?" Harry asked, a little confused still.  
  
Emily sighed.  
  
"Naturally Professor Dumbledore didn't tell them who would be teaching you. They assume that he is teaching you himself" she replied wearily.  
  
"So why isn't he?" Harry asked.  
  
"Same reason as before. Now are we going to spend this whole time playing 20 questions or are we going to get to work?" she asked, slightly exasperated.  
  
Harry nodded reluctantly.  
  
"Now then, clear your mind. When the memories begin to play, I want you to try and force me out"  
  
Harry nodded, but looked a little worried.  
  
"On the count of three" Emily said. Harry nodded again. "One. Two. Three. Legilimens"  
  
Harry felt something brush the edge of his consciousness. Suddenly, the room wasn't visible to him anymore. Memory after memory flashed in front of him, he tried to resist and the room came back into focus. He was surprised to see that he was still standing, but he was shaking very badly. He looked over at Emily as she muttered something and pointed to her hand to cure the boils that had sprung upon it.  
  
"Good for a first try Harry. Let's try again shall we?" she said softly.  
  
He nodded.  
  
"One. Two. Three. Legilimens" she said.  
  
Harry felt the brush on his conscious and the memories began to play again. This time was different though. He felt an inner strength he didn't know he had. He pushed the brushing sensation into a dark corner of his mind and felt the spell being lifted. Emily was beaming at him.  
  
"Well done Harry. I knew you could do it" She said, walking over to him and looking up at his face.  
  
It occurred to Harry how short she was as he looked down at her. She barely came up to his shoulders.  
  
"Rest now. The next lesson is scheduled for Monday afternoon" she said and walked out of the room closing the door behind her with a soft click.  
  
Harry felt slight pain in his scar and though it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been with Snape, he laid on the bed and was grateful to fall asleep.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------  
  
Monday came quickly and Sirius barged into Harry's room with a huge grin. Harry woke with a start and looked groggily up at his godfather.  
  
"Time to get up" Sirius said, beaming.  
  
Harry furrowed his eyebrows.  
  
"Why?" Harry asked.  
  
"The other kids are over today. They're waiting for you downstairs" Sirius said as he threw some clothes at Harry and walked out of the room.  
  
Harry sighed as he got changed and made his way downstairs to the kitchen. When he got to the kitchen he let out a gasp of surprise. There was a banner up in the kitchen saying "Harry Birthday Harry and Megan" that was enchanted to change colours every 10 seconds. There was a huge cake on the table and all his friends were standing around looking at him.  
  
"Sorry it's a little late" Sirius apologized. "I wasn't here for your birthday so we decided that we'd have a little party for you now. It's Megan's birthday today too, I hope you don't mind sharing"  
  
Harry grinned as his other friends came over and welcomed him. He noticed that Megan was sitting in a corner by herself. Her knees were drawn close to her and her arms were clasped around them. She was still wearing the purple scarf.  
  
"Why's Megan by herself?" Harry asked.  
  
"Cause she doesn't like socialising much. I came over to say hello to you and she decided to stay over there. Plus, Mel isn't back yet." Ginny said.  
  
"Where did Mel go?" Harry asked curiously.  
  
Ginny shook her head.  
  
"She didn't tell anyone. She's left like that 3 times in the past week. I think she might have a new boyfriend" Ginny said with a crooked grin.  
  
Sirius walked past and overheard, but didn't say anything.  
  
Harry went over to Megan.  
  
"Hi" he said.  
  
"Hi" she said softly, not moving from the little ball that she had drawn herself into.  
  
"You going to join in the party?" Harry asked.  
  
She looked around for a moment, but drew her head back and shook her head, her face flushed slightly.  
  
"Megan" came a voice from behind Harry.  
  
It was Sirius.  
  
"I've got something for you. You need to get up though"  
  
Megan looked at him warily for a moment before drawing out of her ball and walking over to him. Everyone in the room had stopped talking to watch them. Sirius pulled out a small wooden box.  
  
"To make up for all the birthdays I've missed" he said.  
  
He held the box out to Megan and she stared at him for a moment, before slowly taking the box out of his hand. She looked down at it in awe.  
  
"Open it" he said softly.  
  
She bit her lip and didn't move for a moment, then slowly, she opened the box. She looked inside and gasped. Her eyes went wide and she looked back at her father who was smiling broadly. Everyone in the room came closer to see what he had given her. She slowly pulled it out of the case.  
  
It was a necklace. On the end of the fine gold chain was a heart that was covered in diamonds. It shone brightly in the light. Megan stared at it, unable to speak. She had never in her life received such an extravagant gift. She looked back at Sirius, who took it from her hand and made to put it on her, but she froze and shrank back from him. He looked at her confused and their eyes met for a moment. Sirius was puzzled to see fear in her eyes. She immediately closed her eyes and stood back up straight so that he could put the necklace on her. Sirius stood back and she opened her eyes again. She looked down at the necklace and then back to Sirius. She smiled softly, and he returned the smile. She pretended not to notice that the smile didn't reach his eyes.  
  
"Thankyou" she murmured, before moving away and sitting down in the corner again.  
  
Sirius stared after her for a moment, wondering what had happened before sighing and turning to Harry.  
  
"Your turn" he said with a crooked grin and handed Harry a parcel.  
  
Harry opened it eagerly. It was a large, thick book. It had a leather cover and looked very old. Harry read the title. Advanced Transfiguration techniques. Harry looked back at Sirius.  
  
"Um, thanks" he said with a forced smile.  
  
"I'll tell you about it later" Sirius said with a wink.  
  
Harry looked at him puzzled, but didn't say anything further. After about an hour of chatting to everyone, Harry got quite tired. He excused himself and went outside for a little fresh air. As he walked out onto the back veranda he noticed a small figure sitting on the chair.  
  
It was Megan. She was curled up into a small ball, staring out into the yard. She hadn't noticed Harry in the doorway.  
  
"What are you doing out here?" Harry asked.  
  
Megan jumped.  
  
"You scared me" she said quietly.  
  
"I didn't mean to" he said. She shrugged and looked back at the yard. "Can I sit down?"  
  
Megan looked up at him. She studied him for a moment as if deciding whether he was a threat. Apparently deciding there was no immediate danger, she nodded and moved over a little to let him sit beside her.  
  
"So what are you doing out here?" Harry asked her.  
  
"I don't like being around lots of people" she said quietly. "I much prefer to be invisible"  
  
Harry laughed.  
  
"Why would you want to be invisible?" He asked curiously.  
  
She looked at him for a moment.  
  
"You can't tell me that you never wished that no one could see you when everyone stares at your scar can you?" she asked, placing a finger on his scar for a moment for emphasis.  
  
After she pulled in away, he felt a tingling sensation where her finger had been. He thought for a moment.  
  
"But that's hardly the same is it?" he asked slowly.  
  
She smiled without a trace of happiness.  
  
"My last name is Black" she said. "Remember the trouble when my father escaped? No one knew that he was my father, but everyone knew that I had to be related to him in some way."  
  
"But what does that matter?" Harry asked, confused.  
  
Megan stared at him coldly.  
  
"Do you remember how people treated you when they thought you were the heir of slytherin?" she asked.  
  
He nodded slowly.  
  
"Well they treated me the same way. Everyone in the corridors that knew who I was stared at me, they talked behind my back. Most of my friends abandoned me" Tears were beginning to well in her eyes. She stopped talking and took a deep breath.  
  
She became calm and her expression became unreadable. Harry could tell that this wasn't a good topic. He thought desperately for something else to talk about.  
  
"I didn't see Mel in there. Where's she at the moment?" he asked.  
  
Megan's eyes suddenly filled with concern.  
  
"I don't know. She left early this morning and wouldn't tell me where she was going" Megan said.  
  
"I'm sure she's fine" Harry said softly.  
  
Megan looked up into his eyes and smiled faintly.  
  
"I hope so" she said.  
  
Harry smiled down at her and put his arm around her comfortingly. She stiffened for a moment, but then relaxed. She looked up into his eyes and he smiled down at her. Without thinking, Harry drew her closer and kissed her quickly on the lips. She jumped and he drew back. She was staring at him with wide eyes. She licked her lips nervously.  
  
"I'm sorry" Harry said immediately.  
  
She blushed slightly.  
  
"No, it's alright" she said softly and smiled shyly at him.  
  
He grinned at her and then hugged her close to him. They sat there for a few minutes before Ginny stuck her head out the door.  
  
"What are you two up to?" she asked with a mischievous grin.  
  
Harry groaned.  
  
"Not what you're thinking, put it that way" he said.  
  
Megan flushed crimson at the thought and moved slightly away from Harry. Harry felt a little disappointed, but didn't show it.  
  
"Everyone's looking for you. Maybe you should both come inside" Ginny said with a wink and left.  
  
Harry looked at Megan for a second. She was looking at the ground.  
  
"We should go in" she said softly, and walked towards the door, trying not to look at him.  
  
Harry sighed and followed her. Sirius gave them both a quizzical look when they entered together, but didn't say anything.  
  
The morning went quickly, and before Harry knew it, people began to leave. He was saying good bye to the order members when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He spun around and saw Ginny and Hermione putting on their jackets. He looked at them quizzically.  
  
"We're going back to my house" Hermione said. "My parents are taking us out to an amusement park tomorrow"  
  
"Oh" Harry said, a little disappointed.  
  
He didn't realise that the girls wouldn't be staying.  
  
"Ron's staying though" Hermione added quickly, seeing the disappointment in Harry's eyes.  
  
This seemed to brighten him a little. He said goodbye to the girls and they left with Tonks.  
  
Harry looked around the room for Ron, and noticed that he was fast asleep on the couch. Harry smiled faintly and his eyes wandered around the room. Sirius was talking softly to Megan, who was still sitting in the corner, huddled in a ball. Harry sighed when he saw her. He knew that something had happened to make her act that way, but couldn't figure out what it was. He remembered how she had been in the hospital. Comparing her behaviour here and her behaviour there seemed like comparing two completely different people. He didn't understand how two personalities that were so very different managed to co exist in the same person. He sighed again and continued to look around the room.  
  
Harry saw Emily out of the corner of his eye and made his way over to her. She smiled.  
  
"Ready for that lesson now?" she asked. Harry nodded. "Good, follow me"  
  
Harry followed her upstairs to his bedroom. Once they were in his room, Emily did something she had not done the previous time. She used her wand to lock the door. Harry gave her a quizzical look and she smiled down at him. He shuffled uncomfortably under her gaze.  
  
"Why did you lock the door this time?" he asked. 


	16. Chapter 16 The History of Emily Potter

Chapter 16 - The history of Emily Potter  
  
She chuckled softly.  
  
"You don't trust me at all do you?" she asked with a crooked grin. "Not that I blame you of course"  
  
Harry stared at her for a moment, unable to think of an appropriate response. She laughed again.  
  
"I locked the door because you have a friend downstairs" she explained.  
  
Harry's eyebrows furrowed. Emily sighed.  
  
"So that we won't be interrupted. We have a lot to get through today" she said.  
  
Comprehension flooded Harry's face and Emily shook her head, still chuckling.  
  
"I'm a Potter Harry. I wont let any harm come to you" she said with a soft smile. Harry smiled back. "Alright then, enough mushy stuff, let's get down to business."  
  
And with that, the lesson began. Emily stared off gently, as she had done in their previous lesson. Harry blocked it quickly.  
  
"Very good Harry. Now I'm going to start becoming a little more forceful. I want you to understand that I don't want to hurt you, but Voldemort will not be gentle if you come face to face with him. From what I have heard, you have experienced first hand how forceful he can be"  
  
Harry remembered what had happened the previous year at the ministry of magic when Voldemort had possessed him and shuddered.  
  
"He nearly killed me" Harry said softly.  
  
Emily's eyes filled with pain and concern, but quickly returned to being expressionless.  
  
"All right, let's give it a try shall we. One. Two. Three. Legilimens!" She cried.  
  
Memories flashed quickly in front of Harry's eyes and he felt pain radiating through him. Emily lifted the charm.  
  
"Are you alright?" she asked.  
  
Harry opened his eyes and realised that he was on the floor. The sting of failure seeped through him as he nodded and got up.  
  
"That was good Harry" Emily said softly.  
  
Harry looked up at her with a glare.  
  
"How can it be good?" he asked angrily. "I couldn't do it!"  
  
"Calm yourself Harry" Emily said softly. "Occlumency is a difficult skill to learn. Not many know how to use it"  
  
"Why do you know then?" Harry asked curiously, his anger ebbing away slowly.  
  
"I can't tell you that yet Harry" she said softly. "Maybe one day, but not today. Let's try again shall we?"  
  
Harry sighed. He knew that she wouldn't give him any information. He nodded resignedly and tried desperately to clear all the thoughts from his head.  
  
"One. Two. Three. Legilimens!" she cried.  
  
Harry focused on keeping his mind clear. He felt the memories start to flash before his eyes, but they came much slower this time. He could feel her inside his head and repelled her into the dark corner as he had done previously. She lifted the spell.  
  
"See?" she said with a smile. "You just need to focus"  
  
Harry smiled weakly back. This lesson had taken a lot out of him, but he wanted to continue.  
  
Emily surveyed him for a moment, then gulped nervously.  
  
"How are you feeling?" she asked softly.  
  
"Fine" Harry lied. Emily stared into his eyes for a moment and bit her lip.  
  
"I have just used Legilimens at the level that Professor Snape used on you Harry. The next stage will be much more difficult to fight back. Though I'm not nearly a rival for Voldemort's own powers, the force of the next level will be quite painful, and even deadly" she said slowly.  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"I need to know if you are really alright. If you aren't, then continuing would be dangerous" she continued softly.  
  
Harry thought for a moment. The weariness in his body seemed to have ebbed away and he was fully alert and focused.  
  
"I'm fine" he said firmly.  
  
Emily nodded.  
  
"Prepare yourself" she said.  
  
Harry nodded and cleared his mind. Emily took a deep breath. Harry could feel magic in the air, like electricity, making the hairs on his arms and neck stand on end. He cleared his mind of all emotion and thought.  
  
"LEGILIMENS!" she screamed.  
  
Harry felt something hit his brain hard. All he could feel was pain. He tried desperately to push away the force that was making his head explode with pain, but it wasn't working. He felt it probe deeper and deeper. Memories flashed past his eyes. Voldemort returning. Cedric's empty eyes. The triwizard cup. His feelings for Cho. Sirius falling through the veil. Seeing the shadows of his parents coming out of Voldemort's wand. Harry felt darkness enveloping him. He was vaguely aware that the spell had been lifted and Emily was at his side, before the darkness consumed him.  
  
"Harry! Wake up" Emily said, tapping his face lightly.  
  
Harry woke up and looked into her concerned eyes. She sighed.  
  
"That's enough for today. You need to rest" She said softly as she helped him up and led him over to the bed.  
  
Once he laid down she made to leave the room, but turned to look at him after she had unlocked the door.  
  
"I'll get someone to come and get you when dinner is ready" she said.  
  
He nodded and she smiled as she left the room. Harry didn't have the strength to think, he let sleep envelope him.  
  
Harry found himself in a narrow corridor. There was a man in front of him, wearing a black cloak. He couldn't see the man's face because the hood was drawn up, but he could tell that it was a man by the way he walked. He ran after the man, trying to figure out who it was. The man stopped when they got to the end of the corridor and opened a door that appeared on the wall next to him. Harry watched the man walk through the door. Curious, Harry walked up to the door and noticed that the man had left it open. He walked through the door also and looked around the room. There was a picture on the wall, staring down at them.  
  
Harry gasped when he realised that it was a picture of himself. Feeling somewhat unnerved, he continued to look around the room and saw that the man was at the fireplace, making a fire. Harry walked closer to get a better look. The man sat up straight and pulled the hood off his head as he reached up for some floo powder. Harry gasped once more before waking up.  
  
He was sweating. He looked at the clock next to the bed and realised that it was nearly dinner time. He took a few deep breaths. It's just a dream. Harry thought to himself. It's not real, its just a dream. He sighed, falling back into the pillows and staring up at the ceiling. It seemed so real, but he hadn't had a vision except for when it was related to Voldemort. No, not true. He remembered when he had the vision about Emily. He shook his head. There was no way that it could be true. He was dead. Harry jumped when he heard a soft knock on the door.  
  
"Come in" He said.  
  
Emily was standing at the door.  
  
"How are you feeling?" She asked, concerned.  
  
Harry looked at her for a moment before answering.  
  
"I'm fine" he said softly.  
  
Emily smiled. "Dinner's nearly ready if you want to come down. Everyone's waiting for you" she said.  
  
Harry nodded and Emily closed the door. Harry heard her footsteps echoing down the staircase a moment later. He got up and looked into the mirror.  
  
"He's dead" Harry said softly to himself and then made his way downstairs to the kitchen.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------  
  
"Are you rested enough to try again?" Emily asked after dinner was finished.  
  
Harry nodded slowly. Emily smiled.  
  
"I'll meet you back upstairs in 20 mins. Spend some time with Ron" she suggested.  
  
Harry nodded and walked over to Ron, who was finishing his third helping of treacle tart.  
  
He caught up with Ron for a while, then headed back upstairs to his room for his lesson. Emily was waiting for him. Once again, she locked the door and turned to face him.  
  
"Ready Harry?" she asked. He nodded.  
  
"LEGILIMENS!" she cried, pointing her wand at him.  
  
Harry felt memories flashing past his eyes again. His head began to throb. He couldn't control it. The memory of the dream he just had flashed before him and suddenly, Emily lifted the spell. She stared at him wide eyed and white faced.  
  
"What was that?" She asked in an awed tone.  
  
Harry looked at her.  
  
"It was just a dream" he said.  
  
Emily raised her eyebrows at him slightly.  
  
"Do you know who that man was?" she asked softly.  
  
Harry hesitated for a moment.  
  
"Dad" he said simply.  
  
Emily swallowed hard, still looking at him. She shook her head slightly to compose herself, then pointed her wand at him again.  
  
"Ready?" she asked. He nodded. "LEGILIMENS!"  
  
He felt the spell hit him, but this time he was ready. He pushed with all his might until she couldn't see into his thoughts. She lifted the spell and smiled softly.  
  
"Very good" she said. "You'll be able to block Voldemort now. Sit down Harry. It's time I told you who I am"  
  
Harry sat down on the bed and Emily pulled a chair over to sit opposite him.  
  
"What would you like to know?" she asked. Harry thought for a moment.  
  
"Why haven't I heard of you before?" he asked.  
  
"I've been on the run from the ministry for nearly sixteen years. I couldn't risk it" she replied.  
  
"Well why didn't anyone tell me about you?" he asked.  
  
"Probably the same reason that no one told you about your godfather" she replied.  
  
He thought about this for a moment.  
  
"Why are you on the run from the ministry?" he asked. She grinned.  
  
"Good question" she said. "I worked at the ministry for 5 years as an unspeakable. I quit because I had a vision of the ministry becoming corrupted by Voldemort's forces and wanted to get away before it started. Young ministry officials do not often retire without a better offer, so they assumed that I was joining forces with Voldemort and put a bounty on my head, dead or alive"  
  
"Visions?" Harry asked, confused.  
  
"I'm a seer" she replied, shrugging.  
  
"Like Professor Trelawney?" Harry asked, without thinking about what he was asking. She laughed.  
  
"That fraud? No, dear boy. I have a different gift. She has only been able to give 2 correct predictions, and hasn't been able to remember either, whereas I have visions that I can remember and can also relay to others" Harry stared at her stunned.  
  
"So where in the department of mysteries did you work?" Harry asked. Her eyes flashed.  
  
"Unspeakables don't talk about their work" she said slowly. Harry looked at her hard.  
  
"You aren't an unspeakable any more" he said, crossing his fingers and hoping. To his relief, she laughed.  
  
"True" She admitted. "I'll tell you as long as it stays between us"  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"I heard about what happened last year in the department of mysteries Harry" she said softly.  
  
He felt himself shudder involuntarily when he remembered. "I know that when he explained the prophecy to you, he explained a room that is kept locked at all times. It contains the most powerful magic known to the wizarding world" Harry stared at her with wide eyes when he realised the room that she was speaking of.  
  
"It was I who told Lily about the protection that could be given by sacrifice. I told her before I left, hoping that it would never need to be used" she said, her voiced now strangled as she glanced up at the scar on his forehead.  
  
Harry stared into space thoughtfully, taking in the information. Emily got up.  
  
"That's enough for now" she said as she walked to the door. When she opened it, she turned.  
  
"Oh, and by the way Harry, congratulations on your OWL's" she said, grinning at his expression as she closed the door softly behind her.  
  
Harry gasped, realising that he had never actually opened the letter containing his results. He reached over to the desk where the letter lay and opened it. 


	17. Chapter 17 A Surprise Revelation

Chapter 17 – A surprise revelation…

Harry fumbled with the thick parchment inside the envelop, unfolding it with shaking hands.  His heart was pounding in his throat as he read the letter.

Dear Mr Potter,

            We are pleased to inform you that the results for your Ordinary Wizarding Levels have now been processed.  Enclosed is your copy of the results for the examinations.  Wishing you the best of luck for the future, 

Griselda Marchbanks

Harry held his breath as he looked at the second piece of parchment.

Required subjects:      Written             Practical          Overall Grade

Transfiguration              85                    95                    O

Charms                        90                    80                    O

Potions                         70                    68                    E

DADA                           98                   101                    O

Herbology                    93                    87                    O

Astronomy                   85                    65                    E

History of Magic           41                    -                       P

Elective subjects:

CoMC                              -                    95                  O

Divination                        -                    33                  P

O – Outstanding                       

E – Exceeds Expectation

A – Acceptable

P – Poor

D – Dreadful

  
Harry sighed as he viewed the results.  He was amazed that he had done so well in potions, considering the trouble he had in the subject in his 5th year, but he had needed to get an outstanding to become an auror.  He felt disappointment curse through him as he threw the parchment aside and lay back on the bed.  He could hear muffles noises from somewhere else in the house and decided to go and investigate.  He walked out of the room and quickly realised where the noise was coming from.  He walked slowly towards the room that Hermione, Ginny and Megan were sharing.  The door was open a crack and he pushed it open a little further.  He smiled at the sight that awaited him.

Megan was standing in the middle of the room, dressed in her pyjamas, and singing loudy, hairbrush held tightly in her hand like a microphone.  Her hair was up in the braid still, but she was not wearing the scarf to cover her head.  Harry felt a jolt in his stomach as he watched her dancing around the room and singing.  This was another side of her that he hadn't seen before.  She was unlike anyone that Harry had ever met before.  She had so many interesting, yet extremely contrasting personality traits, yet for some reason which Harry had yet to comprehend, she kept these traits hidden from the rest of the world.  Here though, while no one was around, was the real Megan.  

She was not shy or unhappy, she was full of life and happiness.  The result was breathtaking.  Harry was brought out of his silent observations when she spun around suddenly and saw him staring at her.  She stopped singing immediately and put the brush down, grabbing her scarf and putting it over her head again.

"You know you look a lot prettier without that" Harry commented.  

Megan blushed slightly, but continued to fasten the scarf around her head.

"Maybe I don't want to look pretty" she said softly.  

Harry looked at her strangely for a moment.

"You have a really nice voice" he said, trying desperately to have a decent conversation with her.  

He wanted to get to know the side of her that he had just seen.  The carefree and happy side, but she never seemed to want to talk.

"You weren't supposed to hear that" she said softly, walking over to him.  "I'm really tired.  I think I'm going to go to bed.  You should probably do the same"

With that, she closed the door, leaving Harry standing alone in the corridor.  Harry shook his head as he walked back towards his own room.  He didn't understand girls at all.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Late that night, Mel arrived back at the hideout.  She was very pale and looked extremely tired.  She didn't say much to the order members, but headed straight upstairs to Megan's room.  She stood in the doorway watching her child sleep for a few moments before realising that she was not the only person standing in the corridor.

"What are you doing up here?" she whispered.  

Sirius took a few steps towards her.

"I was going to ask you the same thing" he replied with a small shrug.  

He had been bothered by her recent disappearances, and was unsure how to bring it up.

"I have order duties tonight.  I figured I'd come and check on her before I left" she said simply.  

Sirius sighed.

"I guess you won't tell me where it is you've been going when you aren't on duty will you?" He asked in defeat.  

Her expression darkened.

"It's no business of yours" she said curtly before closing Megan's door softly so that the voices wouldn't wake her.  

She was about to walk away when Sirius grabbed her arm.

"So who is he then?" Sirius demanded.  

Mel glared at him.

"Perish the thought that I might not be seeing someone.  Perish the thought that I might not be the tart you take me for" she said coldly.  

Sirius relaxed the grip on her arm slightly and looked at her in surprise.

"I never thought of you like that" he said slowly.

"Could have fooled me" she said curtly before walking off again.  

Sirius followed her.

"So you aren't seeing anyone else?" he asked.  

She stopped and glared at him.

"Not that it's any of your business, but no.  I am not seeing anyone" she said and walked away.  

Sirius stared after her, completely confused.  He really didn't know how to take these mood swings of hers.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sirius walked over to Emily's room and knocked on the door.  There was no answer.

"Emily its Sirius, open up" he said, knocking again.  

The door flew open, but there was no one there.  Sirius sighed as he walked into the room.  It was dark in the room.  Emily had always preferred to stay in the dark.  A small trail of light illuminated the floor of the room, but not enough to see where Emily was lurking.

"Where are you?" he asked impatiently.  "I really need to talk to you"

Something moved in the corner of his eye and he spun around.

"What's wrong Siri?  You look upset" Emily said softly as she walked over and reached a hand up to pull the hair out of his face.  

She smiled at him and he smiled back weakly.

"I need to know what's going on with Melarin" Sirius said firmly.

"And what makes you think that I would know?" Emily asked softly as she motioned for him to sit down and waved her wand slightly so that the door closed.  

She lit a candle, which illuminated her face, while casting eerie shadows across it.

"You always know" Sirius said simply.  

"True" Emily said.  "I do know, but the question is, am I going to tell you?"

Sirius stared at her for a moment.

"Please, I need to know" he said.

"Why?" She asked.  Sirius looked away and didn't respond.  "If she hasn't told you yet, then she has a reason for it.  Give it time.  You will know soon enough" 

Sirius looked at her.

"Why can't you tell me then?  I'll know soon enough anyway" Sirius said, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

"The last time I told you what I'd seen, it didn't help" Emily said softly.  "If I hadn't told you, then perhaps my brother and his wife would be here today.  Harry wouldn't be an orphan.  You would never have gone to Azkaban"

Sirius looked at Emily and saw the pain and guilt in her eyes.

"It wasn't your fault" Sirius said softly.  

Emily looked up at him again and smiled softly.  A large deck of cards appeared from nowhere.

"Chose your cards" she said.  

Sirius sighed.  He had never stocked much faith in Tarot, but he knew that this was Emily's way of dealing with the pain, so he humoured her. 

He turned the first card.  It had a picture of a moon on it.

"Remus?" Sirius asked as he looked at the card.  

Emily laughed.

"More likely Mel.  It symbolises deceptions.  It's upside down, so the deception is slight." She explained.

He turned the next card.  

"That's the wheel of time" Emily said softly.  "It's upside down.  It means back luck or misfortune await you"

"Wonderful" Sirius muttered sarcastically.  

Emily motioned for his to pick the next card, which he did.  It had the picture of a devil.  He looked at Emily with raised eyebrows.

"Something is going to happen, but in the long run, the result will be favourable" she said.  

Sirius nodded and picked up the next card.  It was the death card.  His face went pale.  Emily put a hand on his reassuringly.

"It doesn't mean death" she said quickly.  "It means change, some kind of transition."

Sirius nodded slowly.

"So what does this tell me?" he asked after a moment.  

Emily looked down at the cards then back up to Sirius.

"I think that all the cards speak of the same event which is yet to come.  Mel is deceiving you, and that deception will lead to your misfortune, however in the long run, that will spark a change in your life that will be for good" Emily said with a small smile.  "So you will suffer a little, but have a happy ending"  

Sirius sighed.

"I've had enough.  I'm going to bed" he said suddenly.  Emily nodded.  She waved her wand and the door flew open at the same time as the candle extinguished.

"Why do you like the dark so much?" Sirius asked curiously.

"You keep your wits about you in the dark" came her response.  Sirius couldn't tell exactly where she was.  "You don't use your wits when it is light.  It makes you vulnerable"

Sirius frowned as he left the room.  She was definitely a strange woman.

Emily crouched in the corner of her room.  As soon as Sirius' footsteps died away, she flicked her wand and the door closed, and locked.  The room was left in complete darkness.  

She sighed as she balled herself up, ears listening intently for any sound inside or outside the room.  Many years of hiding had taught her this defensive behaviour.  She thought about Sirius and frowned.  She wanted more than anything to protect him from what was going to happen, but knew that it was likely that she would make the situation worse if she tried to intervene.  She hugged her legs to her chest tightly and fell asleep in a ball with her back against the wall.


	18. Chapter 18 Cries in the Night

Chapter 18 - Cries in the night.  
  
"So you'll be able to handle it?" Mel asked anxiously. Mrs Weasley raised her hands in exasperation.  
  
"We've been through this before Mel. Megan hasn't even had any nightmares since she's been here. I doubt she'll start tonight, but if she does, you have already told me what to do" Mrs Weasley said, in a tone as exasperated as her vicious hand movements.  
  
Mel frowned slightly.  
  
"I just worry about her. She's all I've got" Mel said softly.  
  
Mrs Weasley's expression softened and she hugged her cousin warmly.  
  
"She'll be fine" Mrs Weasley assured her.  
  
Mel smiled slightly.  
  
"Yeah, you're right" she replied.  
  
Mrs Weasley smiled down at her.  
  
"So how long until you have to go?" Mrs Weasley asked.  
  
"Not for another 10 minutes. How about a cup of tea?" Mel asked.  
  
Mrs Weasley got up to make tea and Mel took the newspaper from the table and began to read as she waited. Her eyes scanned through the top story of the day and she gasped.  
  
"What is it dear?" Mrs Weasley asked, rushing to her side. Mel pointed at the heading of the article.  
  
"DEATHEATERS ESCAPE ASKABAN"  
  
Below it were pictures of several deatheaters. Among the photos, a man with blond hair stared up at them with a smirk. It was Lucious Malfoy.  
  
"The dementors have joined ranks with Voldemort then" Mel said softly. Mrs Weasley nodded slowly.  
  
"Albus warned the ministry that they would." She said sadly.  
  
"Fudge is an idiot" Mel said in disgust as she threw the paper down and picked up the tea instead.  
  
She drank it down in one gulp and got up.  
  
"I have to get going Molly. I'll be back in the morning" she said.  
  
Molly watched her go and sighed. She didn't know how her cousin managed to get by. She hardly seemed to sleep. Shaking her head, she put away the dishes and made her way upstairs to bed.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------  
  
Harry awoke to hear strange noises coming through the wall. Disturbed, he looked at the clock. It was after 2 am. Surely no one would still be up at this hour? He thought to himself as he flung the covers off him and went to investigate. He put on his glasses and the muffled sounds increased in volume. It sounded like someone was talking very loudly. Fear gripped him. What if deatheaters had found their way here. That would explain why there were noises so late in the night.  
  
He grabbed his wand from the desk before moving towards his door and opening it slightly. The sounds were not as prominent out here. He closed his bedroom door and found that he could barely hear the noises. He frowned as he walked down the corridor, stopping in front of each door to listen. He got to a door and stopped. He could hear someone crying as if in pain. His stomach gave a jolt of fear when he realised that this was Megan's room.  
  
He entered the room slowly, his wand out ready to attack the person who was hurting her. But there was no one there. He glanced down at the bed and realised that Megan was crying in her sleep. He closed the door softly behind him and decided the best thing to do would be to wake her up. He walked over to her bed.  
  
"Get away from me!" she yelled and continued to sob. Harry froze. "Don't touch me!"  
  
"Megan wake up" Harry said softly, trying to wake her up.  
  
He placed a hand on her shoulder and she shuddered slightly. He shook her gently.  
  
"Wake up" he said, a little louder this time.  
  
She was still sobbing. He tried shaking her a little harder. Her eyes flung open and she swung her arm out, pushing him hard onto the floor and knocking the wind out of him. She stared at him shocked for a moment before crawling out of bed and sitting beside him on the floor. . "I'm so sorry" she said in a whisper. "I didn't realise it was you"  
  
Harry quickly caught his breath and sat up.  
  
"It's alright" he said, rubbing his chest, which was still aching from the blow.  
  
"Are you ok?" She asked softly, watching him rub his chest with a guilty expression.  
  
Harry chuckled softly.  
  
"I've been a lot worse" he said with a grin.  
  
She smiled weakly at him before rubbing the tears off her face. Harry frowned slightly.  
  
"What were you dreaming about?" he asked softly.  
  
She looked away without answering. Harry sighed.  
  
"Alright, you don't have to tell me. I just wondered if there was some way I could help" he said reassuringly.  
  
She looked up at him again. Her eyes met his with a searching gaze, as if trying to determine whether he was being sincere or not.  
  
"There's nothing you can do" she said softly as she got up and sat down on the bed.  
  
Harry assumed that she wanted to get back to sleep and got up reluctantly.  
  
"Well, I'm going to go back to bed" he said awkwardly.  
  
He reached for the doorhandle, but stopped when he heard her call out.  
  
"Wait!"  
  
He turned and looked at her. She seemed to be fighting an internal battle. After a moment she spoke again.  
  
"Can you sleep here with me?" She asked softly.  
  
Harry's eyebrows shot up questioningly and Megan's eyes widened when she realised that what she had said could be taken in two ways.  
  
"Just sleep" she clarified, "My mother usually sleeps with me after I've had a nightmare, but she isn't here" she explained.  
  
Harry looked at her for a moment deep in thought. He was wondering what Sirius would say if he found out that Harry and Megan had slept in the same bed. He decided that he could always just stay until she fell asleep, then make his way back to his own room. Decision made, he nodded slightly and made his way over to her bed.  
  
Megan slid under the covers and held them open so that he could hop in after her. He climbed in beside her and she stared at him for a moment before taking his glasses off him and putting them on the bedside table.  
  
"Goodnight" she said softly as she rolled over. Harry sighed and sank his head back on the pillow. A moment later her hand grasped his and pulled his arm around her. She hummed softly to herself and Harry smiled slightly before falling asleep.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------  
  
Mel closed her eyes. The man sitting across from her gave a small sigh  
  
"I'm sorry Melarin" he said sincerely.  
  
She nodded silently, not looking at him. She picked at some invisible lint on her robes.  
  
"How long?" Mel asked softly.  
  
"I don't know for sure. Anywhere between 6 and 12 months" he replied.  
  
Mel nodded again. "Have you decided what you're going to do about your daughter?"  
  
Mel sighed and shook her head.  
  
"I'll work out something" she said softly.  
  
"What about her father?" he asked gently.  
  
Mel shook her head.  
  
"Not an option" she said.  
  
The man frowned slightly.  
  
"Any other relatives you can turn to?" he asked.  
  
Mel shook her head.  
  
"My cousin has enough mouths to feed, she can barely afford the children she's got. As for my brother's family." Mel trailed off and shook her head. "She can't live with them"  
  
The man sighed.  
  
"Well it's up to you, but we don't have much time left" he said as he stood up.  
  
"I know" she said softly. "I'd better be getting back. They'll be wondering where I am"  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------  
  
Mel crept up the stairs quietly. She could hear Molly in the kitchen cooking breakfast, but didn't want anyone to know that she was back yet. She had to talk to Megan. She sighed, wondering what she was going to say. She opened the door gently and started in surprise when she saw Harry lying in Megan's bed with his arm around her.  
  
She hesitated for a moment before walking across the room and tapping Harry's shoulder gently. Harry's head shot up and he stared at her groggily. He looked over at Megan and his expression changed. He gently pulled his arm away from Megan, so as not to wake her up. He put on his glasses after he got up, then walked outside the room with Mel. She turned to him after she closed the door.  
  
"What happened?" she asked in a tired voice.  
  
"She had a nightmare and asked if I could sleep with her. Nothing happened" Harry said quickly.  
  
Mel frowned  
  
"She had another nightmare?" she asked, her eyes narrowed.  
  
Harry nodded. Mel sighed.  
  
"Alright. Go downstairs. Molly is making breakfast for everyone. I need to speak to Megan about something" Mel said quietly.  
  
Harry nodded, looking a little nervous as he made his way downstairs. Mel opened the door again and walked into the room.  
  
"Megan?" she asked softly.  
  
Megan stirred and turned around.  
  
"Mama" she said softly.  
  
Mel smiled as she walked over to her daughter and pulled her into a hug. Megan smiled up at her mother. She hadn't really spoken to her properly in a long time. Mel looked around the room, still trying to work out how best to explain to her daughter. She glanced a badge on the desk.  
  
"What's this?" Mel asked, picking it up.  
  
"Prefect badge" Megan replied with a shrug.  
  
"You're prefect?" Mel asked, surprised. Megan nodded. "Why didn't you tell me before?"  
  
"You haven't been around" Megan said. "Ever since we got here you've been away all the time. I hardly see you anymore"  
  
Mel sighed and closed her eyes.  
  
"Megan, there's something I need to tell you" she said.  
  
Megan nodded, looking at her mother suspiciously.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------  
  
Harry got downstairs and noticed that Mrs Weasley was the only one in the kitchen.  
  
"Good morning dear" she said chirpily. "You're up early this morning! How did you sleep?"  
  
"Fine thanks" he mumbled as he got into a chair and she placed a plate of food in front of him.  
  
Harry just stared at the food, too tired to eat.  
  
"Anything wrong dear?" Mrs Weasley asked as she sat down herself to read the paper and drink her tea.  
  
Harry shook his head and began to eat. They sat in silence for a few moments before there was a loud noise from upstairs that made them both jump. It sounded like a slammed door.  
  
"Megan wait!" they heard Mel cry out.  
  
The portrait of Mrs Black began to yell out insults at the two for disturbing her sleep at this ungodly hour. Harry jumped up from where he was sitting and ran up the stairs to the entrance hall in time to see Megan run through the hall and exit through the front door. Mel came running after her looking distraught, but was stopped by Mrs Weasley and Harry ran after Megan.  
  
"Megan!" he yelled out as he ran after her.  
  
She had slowed to a hard power walk now. Harry caught up to her easily and was shocked to find her in tears. He grabbed her shoulders forcing her to stop.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked.  
  
"Why should I tell you?" she asked angrily.  
  
Harry was startled.  
  
"Because I care about you and I want to help" Harry said feebly.  
  
"No you don't!" she yelled. "No one cares! Everyone leaves! First my father abandoned me and now my mother too! Go away Harry! I don't need you! I don't need anyone!"  
  
She pushed him away from her and began running again. Harry heard footsteps behind him and turned. Mel was walking up to him. She was wiping tears from her eyes.  
  
"Just let her be" she said softly. "She just needs to cool off. She'll come back when she's ready"  
  
"What did you say to her?" Harry asked.  
  
He was hurt by Megan's behaviour towards him and was trying to make some sense of it. Mel sighed and wiped fresh tears from her eyes.  
  
"You'll find out soon enough, I'm sure. It doesn't matter right now. Come back inside" she said softly and led him back towards the house.  
  
Harry looked as if he was not happy with this response, but knew that there was nothing he could do. When they got back inside, Sirius and Ron were standing in the entrance hall. Emily and Sera were standing on the stairs. They all looked at Harry and Mel expectantly. Mel sighed.  
  
"Megan's a little upset. She's gone for a walk" she said softly.  
  
The others nodded and made their way down to the kitchen. Emily trailed behind and pulled Mel aside for a moment.  
  
"Perhaps you should tell them why" Emily suggested.  
  
Mel's eyes shot up to the small figure who was staring at her coldly.  
  
"How do you know?" Mel asked, her face slightly pale.  
  
"I know many things" Emily said mysteriously. "But it's your story to tell. I won't tell them if you don't"  
  
With that, Emily headed down to join the others, leaving Mel alone with her thoughts. 


	19. Chapter 19 Back to Hogwarts

Chapter 19 - Back to Hogwarts  
  
Megan came back later that day. She was no longer crying or angry. She looked extremely calm, but Harry noticed that her eyes looked empty. It was as if she had banished every emotion inside her in order to stay calm. Harry felt sorry for her, but wasn't quite sure what had happened, so he didn't know how he could help. He sighed in resignation while talking to Ron in the living room.  
  
"Harry can I talk to you?" Sirius called from the doorway.  
  
Harry started at the sound of his voice, but nodded and followed Sirius into the entrance hall.  
  
"What exactly did Megan say to you when you went after her?" Sirius asked in a low voice.  
  
Harry explained what Megan had said. Sirius frowned.  
  
"Thanks Harry" he said and walked up the stairs.  
  
Harry sighed and returned to the living room to talk to Ron again.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------  
  
Sirius knocked on Mel's door.  
  
"Come in" said a tired voice.  
  
He opened the door slowly and saw that Mel was sitting up in bed. She looked extremely tired. She sighed when she saw who it was.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you" he said politely.  
  
"It's fine" she said, sighing again. "I wasn't asleep anyway"  
  
She motioned for him to come forward. Sirius entered the room and closed the door behind him. She motioned for him to sit as she picked up her dressing gown from the end of the bed and wrapped it around herself. Sirius was silent for a moment.  
  
"When are you going to tell me what's going on?" he asked, trying to keep the bitter edge out of his tone.  
  
Mel closed her eyes.  
  
"It's complicated" she said softly.  
  
"Why are you abandoning Megan?" Sirius asked quietly.  
  
Mel's eyes shot open and she looked at him shocked.  
  
"Who said that?" she asked.  
  
"Harry" Sirius said, watching her reactions closely. "That's what she said to him when he went after her. She said first is was me, now you. Why does she think I abandoned her?"  
  
Mel shook her head in shock.  
  
"I don't know. I guess because you haven't been there for her. She's never known you before. I never used to talk about you. I guess she just assumed." Mel trailed off and looked down at her hands.  
  
"I would never have left if I knew you were pregnant" Sirius said angrily. "Did you tell her that?"  
  
Mel shook her head guiltily. Sirius ran a hand through his hair with frustration.  
  
"So why does she think you're abandoning her?"  
  
Mel put her head in her hands. She burst into tears. Sirius moved toward her and pulled her close to him. It took a few minutes for her to stop crying.  
  
"Come on Mel" he urged gently. "Tell me what's wrong"  
  
Mel hesitated. She wanted so much to tell him. To confess everything. But she couldn't bring herself to say it again. She shook her head slightly.  
  
"Not yet" she said softly. "Maybe later"  
  
Sirius sighed. He knew that if he pushed, she would be angry at him. He contented himself with comforting her. The feel of her body against his was heaven. He smiled softly as he held her. She had stopped crying now, but had not moved away. Sirius didn't intend to let her go unless she asked him to. After a few more minutes he became aware that her breathing had slowed considerably. He looked down at her and realised that she was asleep. He gently laid her down on the bed and pulled the blankets over her. He hesitated for a moment, before kissing her softly on the forehead and leaving the room.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------  
  
"Where's my shoe?"  
  
"I can't find my potions book!"  
  
"Ouch! Watch where you're going!"  
  
It was the morning of the train ride back to Hogwarts. Harry reflected on the past few days. Ginny and Hermione had come back for the last two days of holidays and spent most of their time in the bedroom talking amongst themselves.  
  
Megan had been quite distant since the outburst in the street. Considering that Megan had already been quite reserved, it made it extremely difficult to start up a conversation with her. Harry sighed. He always seemed to fall for girls with problems. He thought about Cho Chang's behaviour the year before, but shook his head. It wasn't like that. Megan didn't cry and talk about other boys. She didn't try to make him jealous. She was. different. Finally, they were all ready to go to the station. There was a knock on the front door and Harry opened it.  
  
"Harry!" Fred called out, jumping forward to shake his hand "So wonderful to see you"  
  
"You're looking well Harry" George added, pushing Fred out of the way to shake Harry's hand as if he were royalty. "Absolutely smashing"  
  
Harry shook his head with a grin. He was quite used to their behaviour now.  
  
"What are you both doing here?" Harry asked.  
  
"Taking ickle Ronnikins and our darling baby sister to the station" Fred said in an exaggerated tone which cause Harry to snicker.  
  
"Why isn't Mrs Weasley taking us?" Harry asked as Fred and George picked up  
  
Ginny's and Ron's trunk and pulled them outside toward a car that was parked and waiting.  
  
"Order business" Fred said in Harry's ear.  
  
George nodded solemnly.  
  
"You're not coming with us though. I'm not sure who's taking you" George said. "They wanted everyone split up for some reason, but I think you're going with Hermione"  
  
Harry nodded, looking slightly confused, and made his way inside. Sirius and Remus were talking in the entrance hall.  
  
"All ready to go Harry?" Sirius asked as Harry approached them. Harry nodded.  
  
"How am I getting to the station though?" he asked.  
  
"You're going to be travelling with Tonks and I" Remus explained. "We're taking Hermione too"  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"What about Megan?" he asked.  
  
Sirius glared at him for some reason and Harry took a step back in surprise.  
  
"I'm taking Megan to the station" A voice came from behind him.  
  
Harry looked up to see Mel. She was wearing black leather and had a motorbike helmet in each hand.  
  
"I don't want to go with you" Megan said, walking down the stairs.  
  
Harry looked up at her with raised eyebrows. It was the first time he had ever seen her in muggle clothes. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a t- shirt. Mel sighed.  
  
"Why don't you take Harry with you Mel? Remus and Tonks can take Hermione and Megan" Sirius suggested, realising that Megan was still angry with her mother and knowing that the children would be late if there were any more delays.  
  
Mel sighed resignedly and passed a helmet to Harry. Remus took Harry's trunk and Hermione and Megan came downstairs with their trunks also. Mrs Weasley ran into the entrance hall and hugged all of the children goodbye before she disapparated.  
  
Tonks came in and told everyone that they needed to get going. Sera and Emily came in long enough to bid Harry farewell and wish him luck for the year at Hogwarts. Sirius gave Harry a warm hug before Harry followed Mel out the door.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------  
  
Harry got off the motorbike feeling a little windswept, but exhilarated. Fred and George met them and Mel had to leave. She gave Harry a note to give to Megan before she sped off into the distance.  
  
"Ron and Ginny are on the train and the others haven't arrived yet" George explained when Harry asked where the others had gone.  
  
He looked up at the time. They still had fifteen minutes.  
  
"I do believe that this is the first time the Weasley's aren't late for the train" Fred said wistfully. "Shame we had to break the tradition"  
  
"I guess it's our fault. We're no longer there influence the behaviour of our younger siblings" George replied in mock regret.  
  
Harry laughed.  
  
"So how's the new joke shop coming along?" Harry asked with a grin.  
  
He was rewarded by a deep explanation of all the plans that Fred had for the shop. George seemed a little preoccupied throughout the discussion. As they reached the barrier, Harry nearly ran into a small boy who looked extremely worried. A small girl came up behind him pushing a large trolley in front of her.  
  
"Where are we supposed to go?" she asked frantically.  
  
"I don't know" the boy said. "No one seems to have heard of it."  
  
Both of them seemed oblivious to the fact that there were three figures standing over them and watching the scene in amusement.  
  
"Lost are you?" Harry offered.  
  
The two children looked up at him and nodded.  
  
"Where are you going?" Harry asked, trying hard to keep a straight face.  
  
"Hogwarts" The boy muttered quietly.  
  
Harry remembered his first time to Hogwarts and how worried he'd been and felt sorry for them.  
  
"Come with me. I'll get you on the platform" Harry said. Both of the kids smiled, relieved.  
  
"I'm Harry by the way. Harry Potter" Harry offered. "This is Fred and George Weasley"  
  
"I'm Andrew, Andrew White. This is my twin sister Katie" the boy said.  
  
They reached the barrier and Harry explained how they could get to the platform. After watching Fred and George go through, Harry let the two younger students go through and then went to go through himself, but someone grabbed his arm before he had walked through and stopped him from getting onto the platform.  
  
It was Megan.  
  
"Harry can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked softly, her faint Irish accent coming through.  
  
Her dark eyes were looking straight into Harry's, but he could see no emotion behind them.  
  
"Sure" he replied, following as she led him aside so that the other students could go through.  
  
"I'm sorry about the other day" she said quietly, staring at the ground.  
  
"Why were you so upset?" Harry asked.  
  
She hesitated for a moment before answering, still not meeting his eyes.  
  
"Mama wants me to stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays. She's going overseas and doesn't want me to go with her" Megan replied after a moment.  
  
Harry put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him.  
  
"Well I'll be staying for the Christmas holidays too, so at least you won't be alone" Harry said with a smile.  
  
She returned the smile.  
  
"Well we best be getting on the platform" she said quietly. "I'm a prefect this year so it wouldn't do for me to be late"  
  
"You're a prefect?" Harry asked, surprised.  
  
She nodded and motioned towards the barrier. Harry walked through and she followed close behind.  
  
"There you are Harry" Remus said relieved. "The train's about to leave"  
  
Harry nodded and made his way to the train with Megan.  
  
"I have to go to the front carriage with the other prefects" Megan said as they boarded the train.  
  
"Oh, alright. Well I guess I'll see you later then" Harry said, a little disappointed.  
  
Megan nodded. Before Harry knew what was happening, Megan leant forward and kissed him on the cheek. She blushed slightly as she pulled away, then hurried off towards the front of the train. Harry grinned as he watched her hurry up the corridor.  
  
"Well that was a touching scene" came a voice from behind him. Harry spun around to face the owner of the voice.  
  
It was Cho Chang. She had a sour expression on her face. Harry frowned.  
  
"What's the matter Harry? Wasn't Hermione good enough for you after all?" Cho asked with a bitter edge in her voice.  
  
Harry felt his cheeks flush with anger. He really didn't feel like defending himself to her again.  
  
"What are you going to do? Cry again?" he said venomously.  
  
He saw hurt flicker through her eyes for a moment, but it was quickly replaced by anger.  
  
"So how does is feel to be dating the village bike then?" she asked hotly. Harry's eyes narrowed.  
  
"What are you talking about?" he asked in an icy tone.  
  
She laughed at him.  
  
"Don't tell me you haven't heard of her? I mean, she must have shagged every other male in fifth year or above. But no, you probably don't notice the late night comings and goings of the girls in your house do you? Too preoccupied in your own little world aren't you Harry?" she asked, tauntingly.  
  
She laughed again and walked away down the corridor. The train had begun to move by this time and Harry decided that he had better find a compartment before they were all full. He found Neville sitting in a compartment by himself, staring dazedly out of the window. He looked up when he saw Harry enter the compartment.  
  
"Oh, hello Harry" he said cheerfully.  
  
Harry mumbled a response and Neville frowned.  
  
"Bad day?" Neville asked.  
  
Harry nodded. He wished that Ron and Hermione weren't at the prefects meeting. He desperately wanted to talk to Hermione about what Cho had said. Hermione seemed to always know what to do in these situations, and he wasn't quite sure if Cho was trying to make him angry, or whether she was telling the truth.  
  
"Do you know anything about Megan Black?" Harry asked Neville suddenly.  
  
Neville's eyes lit up for a moment.  
  
"Yeah she's in the year below us. She helped me with my charms once. She's really smart, but I don't think she likes talking to people very much" he said.  
  
"Do you know anything else about her?" Harry found himself asking.  
  
Neville raised his eyebrows and hesitated for a moment before answering.  
  
"Well she does have a bit of a reputation at school for. well I'm sure you can guess" Neville said, a slight tinge coming into his cheeks as he spoke. "I don't know whether or not it's true though. You'd probably be best to ask her yourself"  
  
Harry sighed heavily as Neville got up.  
  
"I'm going for a walk to stretch my legs. I feel like I've been sitting down for the entire summer." He said as he walked towards the door of the compartment.  
  
Harry nodded and looked out the window as Neville left. He heard the compartment door open and looked around. It was Ginny.  
  
"Hi Harry" she said cheerfully.  
  
What is it with people being so cheerful today? Harry asked himself. Ginny's smile quickly turned to a frown when she noticed Harry's expression.  
  
"Anything wrong?" She asked.  
  
Harry sighed and looked at her for a moment.  
  
"You're friends with Megan aren't you?" he asked suddenly.  
  
Ginny nodded, looking at him quizzically. Harry explained the conversation that he'd had with Cho. Ginny nodded understandingly throughout the explanation. When Harry had finished he looked up at her.  
  
"Do you know if she was telling the truth?" Harry asked feebly.  
  
Ginny thought for a moment.  
  
"She's often out after curfew, but she's never told me where she goes. That doesn't necessarily mean it's true though" Ginny said quietly.  
  
Harry's nodded thoughtfully. The compartment door opened again and in walked Neville, followed closely by Ron, Hermione and Megan. Harry had trouble looking Megan in the eye. She seemed to notice this as she sat down, but didn't say anything to him about it for most of the trip.  
  
Ginny and Neville were having an in depth conversation about Herbology and Ron and Hermione decided to go down the train to check on the younger students. They invited Megan to come with them, seeing that she was also a prefect this year, but Megan declined. As soon as they were gone she turned to Harry.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked softly.  
  
Her brown eyes showed nothing of the emotions running through her mind. She had learned long ago how to hide her emotions from the outside world. Harry explained vaguely what he'd heard from Cho. Megan's expression did not change the entire time he spoke.  
  
"So what's wrong?" she asked when he had finished.  
  
He raised his eyebrows.  
  
"Well is it true?" he asked, feeling a little unnerved by her reaction to what he'd just said and wondering if he'd explained it properly.  
  
"Would it matter if it was?" she countered. "Does it make me a different person to who I was before you heard that from Cho?"  
  
Harry looked at her stunned for a moment.  
  
"I guess not" he said slowly.  
  
She smiled at him.  
  
"Then why worry about it?" she asked, turning back to the window.  
  
Harry furrowed his eyebrows. He didn't understand her at all. He stuffed his hands into his pocket and then remembered the note. He handed it to Megan. Megan looked at it quizzically for a moment before opening it and reading it. Her face flushed with anger. She crumpled the letter and threw it on the floor before excusing herself and walking out of the carriage. Neville and Ginny looked at Harry curiously, obviously wondering what he'd done to upset her. Harry shrugged at them and they went back to their conversation. Harry reached over and picked up the note from Mel.  
  
It read: Dear Megan,  
I really am sorry about all this. I wish that you didn't have to go through it. If I could change things I would. I will owl you when Rupert and I get to America and let you know how things are going. Remember always that I love you.  
  
Harry stared at the note for a moment. There was no signature at the bottom, though he knew that it was from her mother without it needing one. He felt a flood of pity for Megan and decided to go looking for her. No sooner had he gotten out the door of the carriage when he ran into the person he wanted to find least. Malfoy and his gang were making their way up the corridor towards him. They stopped dead when they saw Harry and Malfoy's face turned up in a smirk.  
  
"Told you it would only be a matter of time didn't I Potter?" he said with a superior air.  
  
"What are you talking about Malfoy?" Harry asked angrily.  
  
He wasn't in the mood for Malfoy's games. Malfoy laughed.  
  
"Haven't you been reading the daily Prophet? My father escaped Azkaban. I told you he would" Malfoy said, clearly enjoying his fun.  
  
Harry rolled his eyes and made to push past them, but Crabbe and Goyle stepped in front of him. Harry reached for his wand and pointed it at Goyle.  
  
"Expelliarmus" someone cried from behind him.  
  
Harry felt the wand slip out of his grasp and turned to see who had stolen his wand. It was Megan.  
  
"What seems to be the problem here?" she asked quietly.  
  
"Nothing we can't handle so kindly be on your way" Malfoy said coldly.  
  
Megan's eyes narrowed.  
  
"I happen to be a prefect this year Draco. You have no authority over me" she said in a quiet, but dangerous tone.  
  
"Did you hear father escaped? I can always talk to him about your little interferences" Malfoy said with a smirk.  
  
Harry noticed Megan wince and become a little paler than usual, but a moment later she set her jaw determinedly and moved closer to Malfoy.  
  
"Even he isn't that stupid. If you were still sending correspondences then he would most certainly be caught again" Megan said calmly. "I'll be sure to inform Professor Snape of your appalling behaviour on the train ride today."  
  
"You know Megan, you're worse than that Mudblood Granger" Malfoy said in a sneer.  
  
What happened next happened so quickly that no one could actually see how it happened. One moment, Malfoy was standing in the middle of the corridor a few feet from Megan, laughing with his friends, and the next moment, Megan had him pinned against the wall with her wand pointed at his throat. Her eyes were ablaze with rage and her expression was filled with hatred and fury.  
  
"Don't you ever use that word in front of me again" she hissed.  
  
"Or what? You wouldn't dare curse me while I'm unarmed. And you know I'd beat you in a duel" He said with a sneer, but his eyes betrayed his nervousness.  
  
"As you know, I have sufficient knowledge of the Dark Arts to be able to counter anything that you could throw at me" Megan said in a whisper so that only Malfoy could hear, before retracting her wand and handing Harry's wand back to him.  
  
Harry was amazed to see that Draco and his friends left after this comment. He shrugged and followed Megan into the carriage. Hermione and Ron entered again a few moments later.  
  
The rest of the trip passed by quietly. When the train finally stopped at Hogsmeade station the group disembarked and headed towards the carriages.  
  
"First years this way" came a voice that Harry had never heard before.  
  
He looked over and saw a youngish man standing with a lantern.  
  
"Where's Hagrid?" Harry asked as he turned to Ron.  
  
Ron shrugged. Harry continued to look at the man who was standing there for a moment before being dragged towards a carriage. He got in and saw that Hermione and Ginny were in the carriage, but he couldn't see Megan.  
  
It was a clear night. Harry could see that the moon was full. He hoped that Remus was alright, wherever he was tonight. He sighed as the carriage began to move and they made their way up to the castle.  
  
They entered the Great Hall and Harry sat down beside Ron and Hermione. He saw that Megan was sitting down the other end of the table with Ginny and Colin Creevy. Harry looked up at the head table and noticed that there were quite a few new teachers this year. He could see that Professor Sinistra had been replaced by a tall wizard in bright purple robes. Next to him was the man Harry had seen down at the station, he was sitting in the seat usually reserved for Hagrid. Harry felt a jolt in his stomach as he wondered where Hagrid was. He stopped short when he saw a figure sitting in the seat reserved for the defence against the dark arts teacher.  
  
Snape looked very uncomfortable and was giving quick glances at the dark figure next to him. The figure was wrapped firmly in a dark cloak so that Harry couldn't tell whether it was a man or a woman. He was brought out of his thoughts when the sound of the doors opening again indicated the arrival of Professor McGonagal and the first year students. Harry saw Andrew and Katie walking towards the front, looking a little nervous, but obviously excited. He smiled and they waved back at him. 


	20. Chapter 20 A Strange New Teacher

Chapter 20 - A strange new teacher..  
  
Professor McGonagal approached the front of the hall with a stool and the sorting hat. Everyone in the hall watched the hat with baited breath. The tear in its brim opened and it began to sing.  
  
"Last year a warning I did give And now I give another Dark times have fallen, now my friends And we must band together I urge you all, despite your house To become friends once more Dependable, reliable As the founders were once before Though you may belong to Hufflepuff, Whos nature is loyal and true Befriend your fellow students Is advice I give to you You may belong to Ravenclaw Where knowledge is the key But without the other houses What use will knowledge be You may belong in Gryffindor,  
  
The bravest of the four But without protecting the other 3 What are you fighting for? You may belong in slytherin, Where the cunning will fit in But over darkness, only with The others will you win So band together, I do say And all together strive For united we stand, divided we fall Against the evil in our lives"  
  
There was a murmur among the students, but it died down as the first name was called.  
  
"Abraham, John"  
  
"RAVENCLAW"  
  
A burst of applause sounded from the Ravenclaw Table as the boy made his way over.  
  
"Anthmar, Rowena"  
  
"SLYTHERIN"  
  
"Blaise, Antonia"  
  
"SLYTHERIN"  
  
"Bones, Henry"  
  
"HUFFLEPUFF"  
  
Harry watched the ceremony curiously. It was not until the M's that any of the new students were sorted into Gryffindor.  
  
"Marks, Brooke"  
  
"GRYFFINDOR"  
  
The Gryffindor table burst into applause as the first Gryffindor of the first years made her way over to their table.  
  
Harry watched as other first years were sorted. Maythar, James; Natts, Anthony; Plank, Natalie; Sebini, Jonas and Sebini, James; Tanner, Bradley; Taylor, Angela and Vicker, Mildred were the other first years that were sorted into Gryffindor. There were 2 people left standing at the front of the hall and Harry sat on the edge of his seat to get a better view. They were the two first years he had met at the station.  
  
"White, Andrew" Professor McGonagal called out.  
  
The hat was placed over his head and everyone waited patiently for the hat to yell out the house. Up until now, the hat had called out immediately for every person. This was a surprise, as the time usually differed from person to person, but this was the first time that night that the hat took time in deciding.  
  
"RAVENCLAW!" The hat yelled after a few minutes.  
  
Harry couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, but shook it off as Katie was called up. The sorting hat took its time with her also. After careful deliberation, the hat finally made its decision  
  
"GRYFFINDOR!"  
  
After the applause had finally died down, Professor Dumbledore stood up to make his address. The students waited restlessly, wanting to get on with the feast.  
  
"Just a few start of term notices. We have with us a number of new teachers this year. Professor Vector, our previous arithramancy teacher, resigned last year to persue some personal goals, and our new arithramancy teacher is Professor Vertex"  
  
There was a polite applause as a man Harry hadn't noticed before stood up from the head table and glanced around at the faces.  
  
"Secondly, Professor Sinistra has unfortunately left our staff also and will be replaced by Professor Constall"  
  
The tall man in the bright robes stood up for a moment as the students applauded and sat down when the applause died away.  
  
"Thirdly, our care of magical creatures has taken a temporary leave of absence in order to deal with family issues" Dumbledore said, looking at Harry with a slight twinkle in his eye. "Our usual substitute teacher for care of magical creatures, Professor Grubly Plank, has taken a teaching position at another school and therefore our new care of magical creatures will be Professor Newfer"  
  
The younger man that Harry had seen at the station stood up as they all applauded. Harry sat on the edge of his seat and tried to see the DADA teacher. The cloak that they were wearing was still wrapped firmly around them.  
  
"And as you will all know, Professor Umbridge" Dumbledore said the name flatly and Harry knew that it still bothered him that she had become a Professor at all. "Is no longer teaching here, she will be replaced by Professor Helsing"  
  
There was an applause, as there had been for each of the other teachers, but it stopped short as the figure rose up and took off the cloak that was covering her.  
  
Her skin was pale, like the finest white porcelain. She was the palest person that Harry had ever met. In fact, next to Snape, she made him look like he had a suntan. Her hair was raven black and her eyes were nearly as black. But the thing that startled the students most was how young she looked. She looked like she was old enough to be in her 6th or 7th year, not nearly old enough to teach a class. But her eyes radiated a wisdom similar to Dumbledore's. A wisdom that can only be achieved through age and experience.  
  
She was holding her wand as if expecting someone to attack her as she looked over the students. When she looked in Harry's direction their eyes locked for a moment and Harry felt pain sear through his scar. He doubled over, eyes streaming against the burning in his head. He was oblivious to everything that was going on around him until he heard someone cry out  
  
"Finite connetatum"  
  
The spell hit him directly in the head and the pain in his scar vanished immediately. Harry saw that many people at the table were giving him strange looks and the others were looking up towards the head table. He looked over also to see who had cast the spell and saw that the new DADA teacher still had her wand pointed straight at him.  
  
She looked down at him for a moment before shifting her gaze to Dumbledore. Harry glanced up at the headmaster in time to see him give her a reassuring smile and nod. She then sat down and Dumbledore announced the start of the feast. Harry was a little confused about what had just happened, but he couldn't catch Dumbledore's eye. The other Gryffindor's quickly forgot about the scene as they began to eat. Ron and Hermione didn't forget though. The food lay forgotten for the moment as they began their line of questioning  
  
After Harry had assured them that he was not holding out on them, and that he had no idea what had just happened, Hermione and Ron finally laid off and began eating their dinner, but continually shot him nervous or suspicious glances throughout the meal. Harry sighed and picked at his food. He was too confused about what had just occurred to be hungry. He looked up at the head table a few times during the meal.  
  
He noticed that he was not the only one who was not eating. Professor Helsing seemed to have no appetite either. She watched Harry continually, which unnerved him and made the hairs on his neck stand up. Something about her made him feel uneasy. He looked over to Professor Dumbledore, but he did not seem to think that there was anything amiss. The only person at the head table who seemed remotely to confirm what he was feeling inside was Professor Snape, and Harry knew that Snape probably only hated her because he longed for the Defence Against the Dark Arts position. Harry sighed, shaking his head to try and rid himself of the thoughts that were swirling around his head and making him dizzy. He consoled himself with the thought that the new teacher couldn't be anywhere near as bad as Professor Umbridge from his previous year. Harry smiled slightly at this thought.  
  
Before he knew it, his fellow Gryffindor's were leaving the table and he realised that the plates were empty. He sighed as he got up. Ron and Hermione were having an in depth discussion about something and had totally forgotten about him for the moment as they walked towards the door to the great hall. Harry shook his head as he began to make his way over to them. He stopped short when he felt a cold, bony hand grab his shoulder. He spun around to confront whoever the owner was. A pair of dark, almost black eyes met his. He stared for a moment.  
  
"Mr Potter I presume" she said softly.  
  
Her voice was soothing. Harry had never heard anything like it before. It weaved its own magic that seemed more powerful than Veela charms and yet did not ask anything of its audience, as the Veela's did, but merely calmed its audience. He felt all his confusion melt away and smiled at her. He soon realised that he had been staring and quickly nodded in response, looking away from her face.  
  
"I have a message for you from Professor Dumbledore" she continued. "He requests your audience tomorrow morning in his office. Make sure you get there well before breakfast. There are some matters which need to be addressed urgently"  
  
With that, she turned and walked away. Harry tried to follow her with his eyes, but she disappeared in the swarm of students. Harry sighed and looked around for Ron and Hermione. They were no where to be seen. He realised that he didn't know the password and he couldn't see any Gryffindor's that he knew anywhere. He sighed as he made his way up to the Gryffindor tower, hoping that someone would come by and let him in.  
  
Harry reached the portrait of the fat lady and looked around. There was no one about. He sighed and slumped against the wall, hoping for someone other than Snape to find him there. He gave a start of surprise when he heard the portrait open.  
  
"Hiya Harry!" exclaimed Colin Creevey breathlessly.  
  
Harry groaned inwardly, but forced a smile. At least Colin wasn't taking pictures.  
  
"Hi Colin" he said in the friendliest tone he could muster.  
  
"Megan said you didn't know the password. It's phoenix quill"  
  
Harry sighed in relief.  
  
"Thanks Colin" he said, making his way into the common room.  
  
"'Night Harry" Colin said, making his way up to the dormitory as Harry slumped into a chair by the fire.  
  
He was deep in thought about the events of the evening. He wondered briefly where Hermione and Ron had gotten to, but pushed the thought aside as he fell into a dreamless sleep.  
  
Harry awoke with a start early the next morning. It was still quite dark. He looked up groggily and realised that he was still in the common room. The fire had burnt down to the embers. He stretched out and was about to head up to the dormitory when a voice made him jump.  
  
"You know it's against the rules to sleep anywhere but your dorm"  
  
Harry spun around and saw a pair of brown eyes staring into his. He smiled, relieved that it wasn't a teacher.  
  
"I guess I was just really tired" he said with a sheepish smile. She nodded and looked into the burning embers.  
  
"What are you doing down here at this hour?" Harry asked, looking at the clock and realising that it was 3 in the morning.  
  
"I always get up early" she replied softly. "I don't sleep for long"  
  
Harry tilted his head as he looked at her and shook his head slightly. He really didn't understand her at all.  
  
"Why don't you sleep?" he asked curiously, sitting down beside her.  
  
She shifted uncomfortably.  
  
"Nightmares" she replied. "I get potion from Madame Pomfrey twice a week for dreamless sleep, but any more than that would be dangerous. So I don't sleep much the other 5 nights in the week"  
  
"What kind of nightmares do you have?" he asked.  
  
She was silent for a moment.  
  
"I'd prefer not to talk about it" she replied stiffly.  
  
"It might help" Harry said. Megan spun around to face him.  
  
Her eyes were cold and her face expressionless.  
  
"Do you want to talk about your nightmares?" she asked in a hiss.  
  
Harry was taken aback for a moment. He shook his head.  
  
"Then you will understand why I don't want to talk about mine"  
  
Harry wanted to object, but knew that it would only cause a fight. He didn't want to fight with her, so he kept his views to himself. They sat in silence for a while. Harry could see the first rays of light coming through the window.  
  
As Harry saw the first trickle of students begin to emerge from the respective dorms, he remembered his appointment with Professor Dumbledore. He said goodbye to Megan, who merely waved as he got up to go, and then headed out of the portrait hole.  
  
He walked towards Dumbledore's office wondering whether he was too early. Professor Helsing had said to make sure he was there well before breakfast, but he had no idea what was considered 'well before'. He sighed as he reached the gargoyle and realised that he didn't know the password. He sighed and remembered that the password was usually some sort of sweet. He began listing all the sweets he could think of.  
  
"Sherbet lemon"  
  
"Cockroach Cluster"  
  
"Chocolate Frogs"  
  
"Pepper Imps"  
  
He made an angry noise in exasperation.  
  
"Acid pops!" he said.  
  
The gargoyle leapt aside and Harry stared at it for a moment before shaking his head and making his way up the stairs. He reached the door and was about to open it when he heard high pitched laughter coming from behind it. His heart froze for a moment before he realised that it was female laughter, and not the cold laugh of Voldemort. It was accompanied by Dumbledore's familiar chuckle. Harry opened the door slowly and glimpsed Professor Helsing lying on a couch, tossing a ball up and down and chatting merrily to Professor Dumbledore, who was sitting on a recliner and chuckling at her jokes. Harry was startled. He had never seen his headmaster act in this way with any of the other teachers.  
  
"And do you remember when." Professor Helsing started, but stopped abruptly when she saw Harry. She jumped to her feet and suddenly the couch that she had been lying on vanished, as did the ball. Dumbledore looked up to see why she had stopped. Upon seeing Harry he sighed, then he too got up and with a swish of his wand, the recliner that he had been relaxing in disappeared. He motioned for Harry to sit down on one of the chairs opposite his desk.  
  
"Before we do anything else Harry, do you remember what Emily taught you over the holidays?" Dumbledore asked. Harry nodded slowly.  
  
"I would ask you to practice those techniques while you are at school from now on Harry" Dumbledore said. Harry looked at him confused. "While Professor Helsing can muster a good counter charm for your connection with Voldemort, there are some things that we cannot afford for him to find out"  
  
It suddenly dawned on Harry what Dumbledore was talking about. The previous night he had felt Voldemort emotions and Professor Helsing had cast a spell that broke the connection. That must be the counter charm he was talking about.  
  
Before Harry could say anything, there was a swift knock on the door. Harry turned as Dumbledore called out to the person to enter. Professor McGonagal walked in. She sat down quickly in a seat which Dumbledore conjured for her.  
  
"Now then Harry" Dumbledore said, looking over his spectacles at Harry. "Do you know why you are here?"  
  
Harry shook his head.  
  
"Professor McGonagal has informed me that you wish to become an auror" Dumbledore said, leafing through some notes on his desk. He looked up at Harry and saw him nod in response.  
  
"A noble profession" Dumbledore commented. "However it requires NEWT level potions. As I understand it, you did not receive the required mark on your OWL examinations to qualify for the potions class this year. Is that correct?"  
  
Again Harry nodded, feeling his heart sink. Dumbledore sighed, putting the notes aside and rubbing his eyes. He looked extremely tired.  
  
"Minerva?" he asked suddenly.  
  
"In my opinion, Potter would make an excellent auror. Despite his potions mark, I think that with a little extra tuition he would have no problems headmaster." Professor McGonagal replied. "I would be willing to tutor him myself if it was necessary" she added.  
  
Harry felt his spirits lift a little.  
  
"While I have no doubt that you would make every effort to help him Minerva, potions is not your strength." Dumbledore said gently. "You would not be much help in teaching him for the NEWT exams"  
  
Professor McGonagal nodded and looked towards the ground. Harry's heart sank.  
  
"You had best be off now Minerva. You need to get the timetables for the students. We will finish discussing this matter and inform you of the outcome when it is reached" Dumbledore said. Professor McGonagal nodded again and walked out of the office.  
  
"Well Alena?" Dumbledore asked. Harry looked up confused as Professor Helsing began to speak. Then he realised that her first name must be Alena.  
  
"It would require a great deal of time and bother. I know for a fact that Severus won't take him in the potions class even if Minerva were to tutor him. The only other option would be for me to teach him myself as from what you have told me, there is no one else who is qualified enough to teach potions" She said softly. Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully.  
  
"Would you be willing?" he asked after a moment, looking up at her. Harry looked between her and Dumbledore hopefully. Professor Helsing surveyed Harry for a moment and sighed.  
  
"I'll consider it" she said finally.  
  
Dumbledore smiled.  
  
"Excellent" he said. "Now then. We need to speak about the advanced class Alena" Professor Helsing nodded and Harry looked at Dumbledore with a confused expression.  
  
"Potter" Professor Helsing said, bringing Harry's attention away from Dumbledore. "I understand that you led a group of students last year in defence?"  
  
Harry nodded and Professor Helsing drew a chair and sat down opposite him, looking deep into his eyes with her own eyes, which looked black in the dull light from the office.  
  
"I would like you to tell me about the progress of some of the students involved in that group if you don't mind" she said, pulling out a list. Harry recognised it as the parchment that Hermione had gotten them all to sign. There were strange markings near some of the names this time though. He looked up at Dumbledore quizzically.  
  
"Go ahead Harry" he said, and began looking through his notes again. Professor Helsing began to read out all the 6th year names from the list and Harry did his best to answer her questions about the progress they had made.  
  
"Excellent" she said finally, slipping the list back into her pocket.  
  
"You're free to go down to breakfast now Harry" Dumbledore said. "Be sure to get there quickly. You don't want to miss out on the timetables"  
  
After Harry got up and left the office, Professor Helsing sighed and rubbed her eyes. She looked over at Dumbledore and saw that he was looking at her expectantly. She sighed again.  
  
"He's got an attitude problem. That much is obvious. Even if I did teach him, I doubt he'd pass the training" she said, folding her arms resolutely. Dumbledore merely smiled.  
  
"He not patient at all Albus! You need patience to become an auror! He triggers too easily" she exclaimed. Dumbledore smiled wider, his eyes twinkling.  
  
"No!" she exclaimed, half yelling by this stage. "It won't work! Don't even bother!"  
  
"What won't work?" he asked innocently.  
  
Her eyes narrowed at him.  
  
"You know exactly what!" she exclaimed, getting up to resume her pacing. "I can't do it. He'll drive me nuts. I can't tolerate attitude problems, as you will remember."  
  
Dumbledore chuckled at this statement.  
  
"I'd end up doing more harm than good" she said, a little quieter than before.  
  
Dumbledore's expression suddenly became serious.  
  
"It wasn't your fault you know" he said suddenly.  
  
She looked back at him.  
  
"If I hadn't taught that boy" she said softly.  
  
Dumbledore stood up and gripped her shoulders.  
  
"You taught many witches and wizards, and most of them did good. Don't let that one failure stop you from helping Harry." Dumbledore said seriously.  
  
"He shows the same signs Albus!" she protested.  
  
"And so did I" Dumbledore said.  
  
She paused for a moment and then sighed.  
  
"Yes you did" she conceded, then smiled.  
  
"So will you do it?" he asked.  
  
She bit her lip.  
  
"I'll decide once the arrangements for the classes are finalised" she said finally.  
  
Dumbledore nodded, a little disappointed that he didn't get an answer straight away, but he knew that if he pushed her any further, that she was likely to say no.  
  
"We'd best be getting down to the Great Hall then" he said, motioning her to go before him as he opened the door.  
  
"I'm not really hungry" she replied.  
  
"Even you need to eat" he said, looking over his spectacles at her.  
  
She sighed and threw her hands up in defeat.  
  
"Lead the way then" she said. 


	21. Chapter 21 Comings and Goings

Chapter 21 - Comings and Goings  
  
Harry found Ron and Hermione sitting at the Gryffindor table arguing again. They stopped and looked up when Harry sat beside them.  
  
"Where were you this morning?" Ron asked curiously.  
  
Hermione looked at Harry questioningly, but didn't say anything. Harry explained about the meeting with Dumbledore.  
  
"So you might get a chance to be an auror still?" Hermione said, getting excited.  
  
Harry shrugged.  
  
"Guess I'll find out soon enough" he said.  
  
They all looked up as they noticed Professor McGonagal was handing out timetables. Harry looked at his timetable and was surprised to find a note in bold letters at the top or the parchment.  
  
"SIXTH YEAR - TEMPORARY TIMETABLE. Note to sixth years: Timetable will be finalised on 14th September"  
  
Harry looked over at Hermione and Ron, who were also looking at the note in confusion.  
  
"Why would we need to change the timetable?" Ron asked.  
  
"I guess they'll tell us in our first class" Harry said.  
  
"We have Care of Magical Creatures first" Hermione informed them. "I wonder what the new teacher will be like?"  
  
Ron and Hermione started to bicker amongst themselves, then the bickering turned to arguing. Harry didn't want to be caught in the middle of an argument that morning, so he looked around the table. He saw Megan sitting on the other side of the table. After trying unsuccessfully to get Ron and Hermione's attention, he gave up and went to sit with Megan.  
  
"What are you doing here all by yourself?" he asked with a grin as he snuck up behind her.  
  
Megan jumped a mile and spun around.  
  
"Harry don't do that!" she exclaimed, going slightly pink in the cheeks. Harry grinned further as he sat down beside her.  
  
"Why aren't you sitting with Ron and Hermione?" she asked curiously.  
  
Harry rolled his eyes.  
  
"They're arguing" he said.  
  
She nodded understandingly and went back to her breakfast. The post came soon afterwards. Though Harry didn't get any mail, he noticed that Megan received two letters. She opened the first one and wrinkled her nose. He looked at her questioningly.  
  
"Prefect meeting after breakfast" she explained.  
  
He nodded as she opened the second letter. After reading the letter she turned back to where the owl had been, but it had flown away already.  
  
"Damn!" she exclaimed.  
  
"What?" He asked.  
  
"I need to reply to this straight away and my owl's gone. I don't have time to go to the owlery because of the prefect meeting." She explained.  
  
"I'll go up to the owlery for you if you want" Harry offered.  
  
Megan looked at him nervously. It was obvious that the importance of replying immediately outweighed any misgivings that she had about letting Harry post the reply for her, because she sighed and nodded. She reached into her bag for a quill and some ink and wrote a quick note on the back of the letter she had received.  
  
"You've seen my owl before haven't you?" she asked him as she finished the note.  
  
He nodded.  
  
"Just tie this to her leg, she'll know who to take it to. Please don't read it" she added before getting up, stuffing one last piece of toast in her mouth, slinging her bag over her shoulder and waving as she left the hall.  
  
Harry watched her follow Collin Creevey out of the hall before getting up himself and making his way to the owlery. As he walked up the last set of stairs, he tripped and dropped the note. As he reached to pick it up, he couldn't help notice what was written on it.  
  
"I need to know when I'm going to see you again. Derrick"  
  
Harry furrowed his eyebrows. He turned the note over to read her reply.  
  
"Friday and Saturday, 10pm"  
  
Harry pondered this as he went up to the owlery. He remembered what Cho had said and wondered if the note had anything to do with that. He sighed as he tied the note to Megan's owl.  
  
"Megan said you'd know where to go" he said to it.  
  
The owl hooted in reply and flew off immediately. He thought it was odd that the owl didn't need any other instructions and figured that it was because it was used to taking notes to Derrick, whoever that was. Harry sighed as he made his way back down the stairs. At this rate, he was going to be late for his first class.  
  
He made his way down towards Hagrid's hut. Hermione and Ron were waiting for him. He saw when he got there that the new teacher had not yet arrived. Harry explained to the other two about the letter. They both looked quite surprised at the news.  
  
"But she's a prefect! She shouldn't be going anywhere after curfew!" Hermione exclaimed.  
  
Ron and Harry both rolled their eyes at her. She glared at them in return.  
  
"There is a guy called Derrick in seventh year. I think he's in Ravenclaw. Maybe she's been seeing him on the side" Ron said.  
  
Harry scowled.  
  
"But this doesn't make sense!" Hermione said. "If she was seeing someone else then why would she give the letter to Harry"  
  
Harry and Ron thought about this for a moment.  
  
"She was reluctant to give the letter to me" Harry said softly.  
  
"But if she was seeing that boy Ron was talking about, then wouldn't it have been easier to just talk to him in person? I mean, he couldn't have been more than about 15 feet away. Even if she was rushing off to a prefect's meeting, she would have had time to do that" Hermione said, matter-of-factly.  
  
"What about what Cho said on the train?" Harry asked.  
  
Hermione gave him a dark look which suggested to Harry that Hermione was less than pleased with Cho at the moment.  
  
"Cho is jealous! Can't you see that Harry? I'll bet that she'd say anything to keep you away from the other girls" Hermione said.  
  
"What makes you say that?" Ron asked curiously.  
  
"Because she talked to me on the train and told me to stay away from him" Hermione said angrily and folded her arms. Ron and Harry were both shocked at this.  
  
"She did what?" Harry said.  
  
"You heard me" Hermione replied. "Now before you go doing anything rash, make sure that you have the full story" Hermione said.  
  
Harry sighed.  
  
"Why don't you just ask her about it?" Ron asked.  
  
Hermione elbowed him.  
  
"Ow! What was that for!" Ron protested.  
  
"If Harry talks to her about it then she'll know he read the letter! She'll think that he doesn't trust her" Hermione said in exasperation.  
  
"Oh, right" Ron mumbled, rubbing his arm.  
  
At that moment their discussion was interrupted as the teacher came up behind them.  
  
"Good Morning class. My name is Professor Newfer and I'll be your Care of Magical Creatures teacher until Hagrid returns" He said in a cheery voice.  
  
"Gather round everyone. Today we'll be learning about Timondeers" The teacher said. "Is there anyone here that can tell me what a Timondeer is?"  
  
Harry looked over at Hermione and was surprised to see that she too, had never heard of one.  
  
"Anyone?" the teacher asked, looking a little surprised that no one could answer him. A hand rose in the back of the class. The teacher smiled.  
  
"And your name is.?" he asked.  
  
"Neville Longbottom sir" Neville said in a shaky voice.  
  
"Alright Neville, what is a Timondeer?" the teacher asked, giving Neville an encouraging smile.  
  
"A Timondeer is a smaller version of a normal deer. Its major magical function is that it allows the rider to become invisible" Neville said. The teacher looked impressed.  
  
"Very good Neville" he said. "Can you tell me anything else about them?"  
  
"Um. They can carry heavy loads even though they are really small" Neville said in a shy voice. The teacher smiled again.  
  
"Excellent Neville" he said. "Ten points to Gryffindor"  
  
Neville flushed slightly as the class continued. Professor Newfer brought out a group of Timondeer and Harry noticed that they were only slightly smaller than real deer. The class spend the rest of the lesson having fun turning themselves invisible by jumping on the Timondeers' backs. At the same time, the new teacher was calling out different facts about the Timondeers that they would need to remember for their NEWTs.  
  
Megan ran towards the Defence Against the Dark Arts Classroom. She had stayed behind at the Prefects Meeting and now she was late to her first class. She knocked on the classroom door and heard a female's voice call out "enter". She hesitantly opened the door and saw that the whole class was there.  
  
She flushed slightly, realising that everyone was looking at her. Most of the time she tried to be invisible. The teacher surveyed her for a moment. Professor Helsing had eyes that seemed to see right into the soul. This made Megan feel even more exposed and vulnerable. She quickly murmured that she had been at a prefects meeting.  
  
"The other Prefects in this class were able to get to class on time Miss Black" Professor Helsing replied curtly. "In the future, I suggest you do the same. 5 points will be taken from Gryffindor for you being late. If it becomes a regular occurrence, then I shall see to it that your badge is taken from you. Do you understand Miss Black?"  
  
Megan nodded, trying to keep her emotions under control. It had been many years since a teacher had embarrassed her to the point that she wanted to cry and she felt furious with herself for it.  
  
She walked over to her usual table at the back of the class and tried to pay attention to what the teacher was saying, but her mind kept wandering. They were each handed a piece of parchment with questions on it that had to be handed in at the end of the lesson.  
  
"This is to be done under test conditions, which means no talking" Professor Helsing said to the class.  
  
The class went to work completing the test. Megan scanned through the paper. She knew the answers to most of these questions. It was a test of nearly everything that they had learnt up until now. After the class had ended, everyone handing in their papers. Megan handed hers in and was about to leave.  
  
"Miss Black can I see you for a moment please?" Professor Helsing called out.  
  
Megan stopped and turned around slowly. She didn't want to be alone with this teacher. She bit back the fear of the confrontation and made her way over to the teachers desk. Professor Helsing waited until all the students had left before closing the door and turning to Megan.  
  
"I'm going to be late for my next class Professor" Megan mumbled.  
  
Professor Helsing smiled at her.  
  
"It's alright, I'll write you a note. Who do you have next?" she asked in an almost kind voice.  
  
Megan pulled out the timetable from her pocket.  
  
"Professor McGonagal" she replied after a moment.  
  
Professor Helsing nodded.  
  
"That won't be a problem then." She said as she picked up some papers and put them into a pile on the desk.  
  
She turned and stared at Megan again with the same searching look. Megan shifted uncomfortably.  
  
"I know I seemed a little harsh earlier, but I assure you that it was merely a demonstration. If I had let you off easily then the rest of the class would have thought that I was soft and I would lose their respect, do you understand?"  
  
Megan looked surprised by this statement, but nodded respectfully. Professor Helsing went back to sorting through her papers. Megan wondered whether it was an indication that she should go. She bit her lip, trying to decide what to do next, but decided to wait for the Professor to speak again.  
  
"You seem troubled by something" Professor Helsing said finally.  
  
Megan stared at her with wide eyes.  
  
"I. I don't know what you mean" Megan said, her voice a slightly higher pitch than normal.  
  
Professor Helsing surveyed Megan for a moment.  
  
"You have suffered some hurt or trauma in the past" Professor Helsing said, looking straight into Megan's eyes.  
  
Megan stared at her for a moment, then nodded slightly. Professor Helsing smiled.  
  
"When you let these things get to you, you affect your ability to do magic. I see that you have a great potential, but you don't perform to your capabilities because you let your past rule over you" she said. Megan opened her mouth to protest, but Professor Helsing raised her hand pre- emptively against the verbal abuse.  
  
"I am aware that you are at the top of all of your subjects Miss Black" she said. Megan slumped slightly. She didn't quite understand where this conversation was going. "All I am saying is that you could do better, if you let yourself"  
  
Megan nodded thoughtfully.  
  
"And how can I do that?" Megan asked.  
  
"Talking to someone would probably help. Is there anyone you feel comfortable talking with?" Professor Helsing asked, looking over the papers on her desk once again. Megan shook her head and Professor Helsing looked up at her again.  
  
"Well, if you fell the need to talk at any point, my door is open" Professor Helsing said, picking up a paper.  
  
Megan flushed slightly when she realised that it was hers.  
  
"Ten points to Gryffindor for your answer on Werewolf traits. You are the only person in the class to correctly name them all. Ordinarily I would have given 5" Professor Helsing said with a wink. Megan smiled at her and she returned the smile.  
  
"As I said before Megan, if you let your past dominate your present, it will affect your abilities in magic. I can't force you to deal with whatever is troubling you, but I must warn you that over time, the effects will only become more pronounced" Professor Helsing said.  
  
Megan thought about this for a moment as Professor Helsing wrote a note of a piece of parchment.  
  
"Give this to Professor McGonagal. It explains that I needed to talk to you about some of your answers on your test" Professor Helsing said, handing her the note.  
  
Megan smiled gratefully as she left the room and headed to transfiguration.  
  
Harry didn't have his first Defence Against the Dark Arts Lesson until Friday. Hw wasn't sure why, but he was a little nervous about being taught by Professor Helsing. He shook off the feeling as he walked towards the defence against the dark arts classroom with Ron and Hermione by his side.  
  
"Don't forget about the try outs tomorrow" Ron said suddenly.  
  
Harry nodded glumly. Ron had been informed that he was now team captain on the second day of term. The first order of business, of course, was to reinstate Harry as seeker for the team. Harry's firebolt had been returned to him and his life ban had been lifted by Professor Dumbledore after excessive arguing with the minister for magic.  
  
Harry was grateful for being able to play quidditch again, but was a little jealous at the fact that Ron had been made captain of the team. He shook this feeling off also as they walked into the defence against the dark arts classroom. Harry gasped. All of the windows had been shuttered. The only light in the room came from large torches on the walls.  
  
They sat at a desk in the front and waited as the other students filed in, one by one. Finally, the teacher swept in. Her movements were quick, but graceful, as if she were floating rather than walking. She surveyed the class for a moment with her dark eyes. As she made eye contact with Harry, Harry felt his scar twinge unpleasantly. He raised his hand to touch his scar and Professor Helsing swept over to him, bending low and whispering in his ear so that only he could hear.  
  
"Occlumency Potter" she said, and swiftly straightened and moved back to the front of the class.  
  
She called the roll and then surveyed the class again. They all had their books and wands out, ready for their first lesson with this new and interesting teacher.  
  
"Wands away. You won't be needing them for this lesson" she said as she picked up a pile of papers.  
  
Harry's heart sunk as he remembered Professor Umbridge's classes. Surely Dumbledore wouldn't have hired another teacher like that this year? He looked down at the parchment that Professor Helsing had passed him. It was an exam. He looked questioningly at Hermione and Ron. Ron looked slightly green and Hermione looked a little confused also.  
  
"Excuse me Professor?" Hermione said, raising her hands.  
  
Professor Helsing spun around, her eyes boring into Hermione's. Hermione suddenly felt very nervous.  
  
"Yes, Miss. Granger wasn't it?" Professor Helsing said in a cool tone.  
  
Hermione nodded.  
  
"I was just wondering what the purpose of this test was?" Hermione said, her voice slightly wavering.  
  
Professor Helsing smiled an evil smile.  
  
"The test is to assess your understanding of the subject Miss Granger. I understand that in the past, you have only had one adequate teacher in this subject. This test is to determine how much you know about the subject so that that I can separate you" she replied.  
  
Hermione looked confused.  
  
"But why haven't we been told about this test? It's unfair to have a test on the first lesson" Ron said suddenly.  
  
Professor Helsing's expression turned cold.  
  
"Mr Weasley wasn't it?" She asked after a moment. He nodded and she continued to speak. "It is not for you to determine what is fair or unfair in my class. Is that understood Mr Weasley?"  
  
"But."  
  
"5 points from Gryffindor. Do not second guess my teaching methods again Mr Weasley" Professor Helsing said, turning back to distribute the papers.  
  
"That's not fair! He was only asking a question!" Hermione said, outraged.  
  
Ron looked much happier now that Hermione was sticking up for him.  
  
"10 points from Gryffindor" Professor Helsing said without looking back.  
  
Hermione fumed. Harry looked over at his friends and then towards the Professor.  
  
"Isn't it our responsibility to question your methods?" Harry said recklessly.  
  
Professor Helsing turned towards him and looked him straight in the eye. Her eyes were black. Harry felt his scar sear with pain. Professor Helsing put her papers down on the desk and grabbed Harry's arm, forcefully pulling him out of the room. The other students in the class looked stunned.  
  
Harry felt like he was going to collapse. He heard Professor Helsing mutter something and suddenly the pain in his scar went away and he felt normal again. He stared up at her and saw that she was furious.  
  
"Remember your occlumency Potter" she said angrily.  
  
Harry saw the light flash against her teeth and his eyes widened in shock. For a moment, her teeth looked extremely long and sharp. She visibly calmed herself and spoke again, then Harry knew he must have been imagining things, because her teeth were completely normal when she opened her mouth to speak.  
  
"I cannot tolerate attitude problems or insolence in my students Potter" she said calmly, though her eyes still flashed with anger. "Either keep your emotions in check, or leave my class. Do you understand?"  
  
Harry nodded, lost for words. She let him go and motioned him to return to the classroom before her, which he did. She followed him inside.  
  
That night, Harry slumped onto a couch in the common room to talk to his friends about the day's events. He yawned loudly. He was extremely exhausted. He stretched out the aching muscles in his leg as he listened to Ron and Hermione complain about the new defence against the dark arts teacher.  
  
After debating the reason behind her behaviour for a few minutes, they turned to Harry to ask him about what had happened when the teacher had led him out of the classroom, because they hadn't had a chance to talk about it before then. But they found that he had fallen asleep. Hermione looked down at him sympathetically and Ron shook his head at his friend.  
  
"What should we do?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Just leave him be" Ron said, yawning himself. "I think I'm going to head up to bed"  
  
Hermione nodded and they parted for their respective dormitories, leaving Harry asleep in the common room. Shortly afterwards, a figure walked down from the girls dormitory. She paused when she saw Harry asleep on the couch. She hesitated for a moment before rushing back up the stairs to the dorm. She came back a moment later with a blanket in her hand. She put the blanket gently over Harry and smiled before heading out of the portrait hole.  
  
Harry woke with a start and noticed that there was a blanket over him. He looked around the common room and noticed that it was completely deserted. He looked down at his wrist watch. It was nearly 3 am. He shook his head, wondering why Hermione and Ron didn't wake him up. He wondered vaguely who had put the blanket over him, when he heard the portrait door open. He looked up and his jaw dropped. It was Megan, but he had never seen her like this before.  
  
She was holding a bundle of robes in her hand and humming slightly to herself. She was wearing a short, black dress. Her hair curled down her back and framed her face. She was wearing a little make up, which highlighted the natural beauty of her face. Harry's breath caught in his chest as he looked at her. She was beautiful. She started when she saw that he was looking at her, but then smiled and walked over to him, pulling her cloak around her as she walked so that she covered up the dress that she was wearing.  
  
"Are you alright Harry?" She asked as she sat beside him.  
  
He nodded.  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't wake you up earlier, but you looked so peaceful" she said with a shy smile. "You seemed to need the rest" she added softly.  
  
"Is this yours then?" he asked, indicating the blanket.  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Where were you tonight?" he asked.  
  
Her smile faded and she thought for a moment.  
  
"I can't tell you" she said softly.  
  
Harry stared at her in disbelief.  
  
"Why not?" he asked. She sighed.  
  
"Would you tell me where ever you were going with Hermione and Ron?" she asked.  
  
Harry was about to say yes, but stopped when he thought about the things that he had done in the past, using the invisibility cloak.  
  
"Everyone has their secrets Harry" she said softly. "I'll never lie to you, but if you ask a question that I don't want you to know the answer to, then I won't answer"  
  
Harry nodded. She was about to leave when he grabbed her arm.  
  
"Are you seeing someone else?" he blurted out.  
  
Megan smiled slightly and shook her head.  
  
"Why do you ask?" she said curiously.  
  
"I'd just. prefer you didn't" he said, blushing slightly.  
  
"So you want me to yourself?" she asked softly, grinning at him playfully.  
  
He nodded slightly. She pretended to think hard about this, making Harry chuckle.  
  
"Only if I can have you to myself too." she said after a moment. "Agreed?"  
  
Her voice was light but her eyes were serious. Harry nodded in agreement and she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"I'll see you in the morning then. You'd better go up to bed and get some sleep" she said with a smile.  
  
Harry returned the smile and made his way back upstairs to the dorm. He turned and watched her disappear up the stairs to her own dorm and shook his head slightly. He had just witnessed yet another side to Megan's personality. With this thought, he made his way up to bed. 


	22. Chapter 22 Anonymous Letters

Chapter 22 - Anonymous Letters  
  
Professor Helsing made her way through the corridors shortly after curfew. She wanted to talk to Dumbledore about something that was troubling her. She heard someone walking towards her and stopped, shrinking back into the shadows to find out who it was without being noticed. She saw that it was Megan Black. She frowned slightly, wondering whether she should approach the girl or not, but found herself curious as to where the girl was going. She watched as Megan looked to each side to see if anyone was watching, then entered a room. Professor Helsing's eyebrows lifted slightly and she continued on her way. She knew what room Megan had entered.  
  
It was the room of requirement. Professor Helsing remembered using the room when she had taught here last. She wondered what Megan would be using the room for at this time of night, but pushed the thought away as she reached the corridor to Dumbledore's office. She whispered the password and the gargoyle leapt aside. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk leafing through some papers when Professor Helsing knocked softly on the door. He looked up and smiled brightly when he saw who it was.  
  
"Come and have a seat" he offered, putting away the papers.  
  
She obliged and he turned back to her.  
  
"To what do I owe this visit?" he asked with a grin.  
  
"I needed to ask you something" she said.  
  
The serious tone in her voice dampened his spirits a little, but he still smiled warmly as he nodded for her to continue.  
  
"What do you know about Megan Black?" she asked, looking him straight in the eye.  
  
His raised his eyebrows in surprise. Whatever he was expecting, that had not been it.  
  
"She is a Gryffindor Prefect" Dumbledore said, thinking. "Her parents are Sirius Black and Melarin Malfoy. She's a good student"  
  
Dumbledore stopped, looking at her questioningly.  
  
"Why do you ask?" he said after a moment, seeing that she was not responding.  
  
"You don't know anything else? Anything about her past?" she asked.  
  
Dumbledore shook his head, a slight frown on his face.  
  
"What's this about Alena?" he asked softly.  
  
She bit her lip as she thought.  
  
"I'm worried about that child" she replied. "She has the darkest aura that I have seen in a long time"  
  
Dumbledore's eyes widened a little and he thought for a moment.  
  
"What do you suggest?" he asked finally.  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"Nothing at the moment. We'll see where it leads" she replied, getting up. "I'd best be going. I'll see you in the morning Albus"  
  
He nodded and she walked out. Dumbledore sat for a moment, thinking hard about what he had just learned.  
  
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The next morning Harry got up and looked out the window. He groaned as he saw that there was a storm. Ron walked out of the bathroom and looked at Harry with a grim expression.  
  
"It's worse outside" he said. "I've called off the try out till next weekend. There's no point in holding them today. We won't be able to see the players that are trying out"  
  
Harry felt a little happier at this as he got dressed and made his way downstairs. He loved quidditch, but really didn't feel like playing in this weather, nor was the idea of standing out in the rain and watching others playing very appealing.  
  
He was met in the common room by Ginny and Hermione. He greeted them both warmly and asked them if they'd seen Megan that morning. Ginny replied that when she got up, Megan wasn't in the dorm. Harry frowned slightly, but thanked her and made his way out of the common room and down to breakfast, hoping that Megan was in the Great Hall. There were no classes today and he was hoping to spend some time with her. He frowned when he saw that she wasn't in the Great Hall either.  
  
He sat down reluctantly and ate breakfast. Ron, Hermione and Ginny joined them, but Harry wasn't much in the mood for socialising now, so he excused himself and began wandering around the halls. He found himself at the library and furrowed his eyebrows. He couldn't believe that he was at the library on a Saturday. He started to walk away when he heard someone call his name from behind him. He turned, a scowl on his face as he looked at the owner of the voice.  
  
It was Malfoy. Malfoy smirked at Harry as he walked closer. He stopped when he was about 5 feet away.  
  
"What do you want Malfoy?" Harry asked in a cold tone.  
  
Malfoy grinned at him.  
  
"What are you doing all alone in the corridors Potter?" Malfoy asked in a polite tone,  
  
"You know it's unsafe for you to wander the corridors by yourself"  
  
Harry stared at him in disbelief.  
  
"And why would it be unsafe?" Harry asked, staring daggers at Malfoy, but waiting for him to make the first move.  
  
Malfoy smirked.  
  
"Because of me" Draco said, pulling out his wand and pointing it at Harry.  
  
Harry reached furiously into his pocket for his own wand, but was distracted when a jet of light sped past his shoulder.  
  
"No one's here to save you now Potter" Malfoy said, his eyes lighting up with happiness as he walked closer. "I told you that you would pay"  
  
Harry reached into his pocket once again as he saw Malfoy begin to mutter another curse, but both boys stopped when they heard another voice. A jet of blue light sped over Harry's shoulder from the other direction and hit Malfoy square in the chest. Malfoy let out a small groan and fell to the floor. Harry spun around to see who it was that had cast the spell and gasped.  
  
Megan was standing behind him. She was looking down at Malfoy with a hatred that Harry had never seen in her eyes before. She looked furious. She bent over Malfoy and whispered something in his ear before muttering another spell. He got up, staring daggers at her, and walked away cursing under his breath.  
  
Megan turned back to Harry and her expression softened.  
  
"I didn't know you wore glasses" Harry said, staring at her.  
  
She blushed slightly.  
  
"I usually wear contacts, but my eyes were sore this morning" she said softly.  
  
Harry smiled at her.  
  
"What spell was that? I've never seen it before" Harry said.  
  
Her expression changed and she glanced nervously at him.  
  
"It doesn't matter. At least he's not bothering you anymore" she replied.  
  
Harry looked at her suspiciously. She sighed.  
  
"Look, can we talk about something else?" she asked, a note of pleading in her voice.  
  
"Alright, well where were you this morning?" He asked.  
  
She smiled again.  
  
"I was in the library" she said. "I saw you at the door and went to see what was keeping you"  
  
Harry nodded slowly. She took his hand in hers and led him into the library and over to a desk that was piled high with books. Harry raised his eyebrows at her.  
  
"OWL's are coming up soon" she said softly as she sat down at the table.  
  
He shook his head slightly as he sat down too, thinking that he had met another Hermione.  
  
"Draco's right you know" Megan said softly. Harry looked at her in disbelief. "You shouldn't be wandering off on your own. It's dangerous"  
  
"I can take care of myself" Harry said defensively, his voice raised slightly.  
  
Madame Pince gave them both a warning glare.  
  
"I know you can Harry, but it's still not good to tempt fate" She said softly, putting a hand on his.  
  
Harry felt the anger seep away and his expression softened. Megan looked down at the books on the table and sighed, picking up a few and leaving the rest for Madame Pince to put away.  
  
"Let's go back to the common room" Megan said, getting up.  
  
Harry nodded and walked with her over to the desk to check out the books with Madame Pince.  
  
The day went rather quickly, and although Megan seemed more preoccupied with study than with spending time with him, Harry was content to play wizard chess with Neville in the common room while she pored over the books. Ron and Hermione had been gone for most of the day and no one had any clue of where they might have gone. The last person to see them, Ginny, had come back to the common room a short time ago, professing to know nothing of her brothers activity's.  
  
At the end of the very close game that Neville had been the victor of, Harry turned to Megan who had slammed shut the book she was studying from and was humming softly as she put her parchments and quills away. She looked up when she felt his eyes on her and smiled shyly before looking down again and flushing a little. Harry looked at the time. Dinner would be served soon.  
  
"Hungry?" he asked, walking over to her.  
  
She looked at the time and nodded, leading the way to the portrait. Harry sighed as he followed her.  
  
They found Hermione and Ron sitting together in the great hall, talking in hushed voices, but refused to disclose anything when Harry questioned them about it. Harry sighed and began to eat without much enthusiasm. Megan had been very quiet throughout, but suddenly put a hand on his shoulder and asked softly  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
It wasn't much, but it was enough to bring Harry out of his contemplations and earned her a smile, which she returned. There was a screech from above the hall and an owl flew in circles above them, before diving towards Megan and dropping a letter in front of her. Megan stared at the letter for a moment before opening it. There were hushed murmurs in the halls and the teachers looked down at the Gryffindor table curiously.  
  
Megan read the contents of the letter and Harry saw her pale visibly. She got up without a word and left the hall. Harry looked over to his friends questioningly, not sure what to do.  
  
"Go see if she's alright" Hermione said softly.  
  
Harry nodded and got up, quickly making his way towards the door and looking around to see where she had gone.  
  
Megan felt her chest constrict and gasped for breath. It felt as if someone had put a pillow over her face to suffocate her. Her lungs hurt from the lack of oxygen. She burst through the doors and felt the cool night air against her face. She could breath again. She stood gasping for breath until the tightness in her chest left her and her breathing slowed. She pulled the note out and looked at it.  
  
I'll be seeing you at Christmas  
  
There was no signature, but she knew from the elegant handwriting who had sent it. She closed her eyes and stuffed the note back into the pocket of her robes. Her eyes opened again suddenly when she heard a sound behind her. She spun around and saw Harry staring at her.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she asked, cursing silently when she heard how tight and high pitched her voice seemed to be.  
  
"I came to see if you were alright" Harry said softly, walking towards her.  
  
"I'm fine" she said in a detached voice as he drew closer.  
  
"No you're not" he said, reaching up to pull a stray hair away from her face. She flinched under his touch and stepped back. Harry tried to contain the frustration he was feeling.  
  
"Who was the note from?" he asked softly.  
  
"It doesn't matter" she replied.  
  
"Was it the same person as last time?" he asked.  
  
"No" she replied, and looked towards the lake.  
  
There was silence for a few moments.  
  
"I'm tired. I'm going to Madame Pomfrey to get some potion. I'll see you later Harry" Megan said softly.  
  
She went to walk past and Harry grabbed her arm to stop her.  
  
"Let me help you" he said, his voice edged with frustration.  
  
She looked directly into his eyes and he could see a hint of regret.  
  
"You can't" she replied. "No one can"  
  
With that, she pulled away from him and made her way inside. Harry stared after her for a moment before going back to the common room. 


	23. Chapter 23 A class to remember

Chapter 23 - A class to remember  
  
Monday came quickly, and Harry found himself trudging after Ron and Hermione towards the Great Hall. He hadn't seen Megan since their conversation outside and was worried about her, but angry also because she hadn't let him help. He looked across the hall and saw that Megan was sitting at the end of the table. He was about to walk over to her when she suddenly got up, and walked out of the hall. She walked straight past him without even looking at him. She didn't seem to notice anyone.  
  
"Did you find out what was wrong with her?" Hermione asked softly. Harry shook his head. Hermione looked after her suspiciously, but didn't say anything else. They ate in silence and got up when it was time for class.  
  
"What do we have first?" Ron asked as they left the hall together.  
  
"Defence Against the Dark Arts" Hermione replied. Harry and Ron both groaned.  
  
They got to the classroom and adjusted their eyes to the dark room. They got out their books and parchment, ready for the lesson that was to ensue. Harry wondered briefly if Professor Helsing was going to be like Professor Umbridge with regards to teaching methods, as the only lesson that they had so far was based on theoretical knowledge. His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Professor Helsing.  
  
"Put your book and your wands away" Professor Helsing told the class. "You won't be needing either for today's lesson"  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione all looked at each other in confusion. The same thought was running through each of their heads. How were you supposed to have a lesson in magic without books or wands? Hermione raised her hand. Professor Helsing sighed and rolled her eyes. Hermione looked affronted by the teacher's open display of annoyance.  
  
"Yes Miss Granger?" she asked, in a tired voice.  
  
"I was wondering how we are supposed to have a magic lesson without wands or books?" Hermione asked  
  
Professor Helsing sighed and walked to the front of the class.  
  
"You along with every other person in the class. I will explain as soon as you have all packed away your belongings. Now hurry along, we don't have time to waste" she said, looking over the students, who were now hastily throwing their things into their bags. Once they were done, Professor Helsing asked them all to move into the centre of the room between the desks. With a flick of her wand, she then caused the desks to move to the edges of the room so that there was a large clearing in the classroom and instructed them all to sit on the floor. Harry looked around at the other students and was relieved to find that, by the expressions of his classmates, he was not the only person who thought this lesson was odd.  
  
Once she had their attention, Professor Helsing continued.  
  
"Over the course of the year, most of you will be learning to defend yourselves in one-on-one combat situations with other wizards or witches. Professor Dumbledore thought that this was necessary given certain past events" she started. There was a slight murmur among the students after this statement. They all knew what events she was talking about. The daily prophet had run a series of articles about the return of Voldemort and the Ministry's actions against suspected deatheaters.  
  
Professor Helsing raised her hands to get them all to settle down. Once they had all stopped talking, she continued.  
  
"In many one-on-one situations, a simple disarming charm is all that is required to leave you defenceless against any attack from your opponent. Therefore today, we will be practicing hand to hand combat so that in the unlikely event that you are faced with a battle and don't have the use of your wand, that you will be prepared. Now then, everyone stand up and form two lines. You have 5 seconds to choose your partner, otherwise I will choose your partner for you" She said and waited as they got into pairs. Harry let Ron and Hermione pair up, knowing that Ron would appreciate the extra time he could spend with Hermione. Unfortunately, everyone else seemed to have picked their partners already and there was no one for him to pair up with. He walked over to Professor Helsing to point this out.  
  
"Looks like you'll be facing me today Mr Potter" she said with obvious amusement. Harry went a little pale at this comment. He hadn't been expecting to have to go against the teacher. Professor Helsing seemed to notice this.  
  
"Don't worry yourself Mr Potter. It is not my mission to kill off the students at this point in time. You are in no immediate danger" she said, her eyes flashing with amusement.  
  
Harry was suddenly reminded of being in Snape's class and wondered vaguely why Snape hated her when they obviously had so much in common. He shrugged the thought off as the lesson began in earnest.  
  
Two gruelling hours later the three friends exited the classroom, each rubbing sore limbs and wishing that it were the end of the day so that they could pass out from their exahaustion. Instead, they made their way slowly to the great hall for lunch.  
  
By the time they walked through the doors to the Great Hall, Ron was complaining loudly about the fact that the teacher should be suspended for allowing the students to hurt each other. Hermione pointed out sullenly that Ron was beginning to sound like Malfoy and they began bickering again. Harry looked around the Hall for someone else to sit with. He didn't feel like being in the middle of an argument at the moment. He saw Ginny sitting by herself and decided to sit there, leaving the other two standing in the entrance hall, voices raised slightly and arguing about everything from Professor Helsing, to Ron's eating habits. Harry sighed and shook his head as he sat down near Ginny. Ginny looked up and smiled at him.  
  
"Where's Ron and Hermione?" she asked curiously. At that point they heard Hermione yelling something about Ron being an enormous prat. Ginny giggled, understanding and Harry rolled his eyes.  
  
"Where's Megan?" He asked softly. Ginny grinned at him.  
  
"She's in the library. She said she wasn't hungry. She spends a lot of time there actually" Ginny said thoughtfully. Harry groaned and Ginny looked at him quizzically.  
  
"Another Hermione!" he said in mock despair. Ginny laughed and Harry grinned.  
  
"I'm gunna go and see her, is that ok?" he asked. Ginny nodded and turned her attention to a conversation between two other girls in 5th year. Harry got up and headed to the library.  
  
Harry walked slowly down the corridor leading to the library, lost in his own thoughts. He stopped abruptly in when he heard two people arguing up ahead. He crept further and sank back into a recess in the wall so that he could listen without being overheard.  
  
"What do you want me to do about it?" came a voice which he immediately recognised as Megan's. Her voice was filled with a mixture of exasperation and annoyance.  
  
"I don't know!" came another voice which made Harry's eyes widen. He recognised it as being Malfoy, but he had never heard the tone of fear that the choked voice contained.  
  
There was a sigh, which Harry assumed was Megan's.  
  
"When?" she asked in a calmer, more resigned tone.  
  
He heard Malfoy mumble a reply, but couldn't make it out.  
  
Another sigh.  
  
"I'm coming with you" Megan said in a determined voice.  
  
"No, you can't!" Malfoy exclaimed,  
  
"I can and I will" she said in a cold, hard voice that indicated that she would not accept any rebuttal. "I might be able to persuade them to postpone it for a little while. Now leave before someone realises you're here"  
  
Harry could hear footsteps and held his breath as he saw Malfoy walk straight past him, but Malfoy seemed to caught up in his own thoughts to notice Harry. He heard Megan sigh and footsteps retreating in the other direction. When he was sure that she was gone, he let out the breath he was holding and walked out into the hallway. The snippet of conversation that he'd heard was running through his head and he frowned, unable to work out what to make of it.  
  
The rest of the day went rather quickly, and before Harry knew it, he was returning to the common room after dinner. He noticed that Megan was sitting at a table on the other side of the common room and walked over to her. She looked up when he reached her and smiled at him. He frowned. The last time that he had seen her, he didn't get such a welcoming reception. She motioned for him to come closer so that she could whisper something in his ear. He reluctantly obeyed.  
  
"Meet me downstairs in 20 minutes. Wear your invisibility cloak" she said softly, before packing up her books and heading up to the girls dormitory. Harry watched her go with furrowed eyebrows. He couldn't work out how she had found out about the cloak. After a moment, curiosity got the better of him and he headed up to the boys dormitory to get his cloak.  
  
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Torches burned on either side of the cold, stone walls as Professor Helsing made her way down the endless corridors that night. She stumbled slightly as she rushed to the headmaster's office. She knew that this meeting must be important, because otherwise he wouldn't have called everyone for a meeting at such a late hour.  
  
She reached the office and entered without knocking. She looked over at Dumbledore and felt ice grip her heart. There was no twinkle in his eyes this time. No reassuring smile. This must really be serious, she thought to herself as she sat down opposite him. A moment later, Snape and McGonagal rushed in also and took their places beside her. Snape was too concerned about the meeting to bother giving her his usual glare. Thank heavens for small mercies, she thought with a scowl, before being roused from her thoughts by the headmaster addressing them.  
  
"I'm afraid I have some bad news" he started softly.  
  
"What is it Albus?" Professor McGonagal asked after a moment of silence.  
  
"I have received word of a number of attacks occurring earlier this evening. It seems that Voldemort has gathered more support than we had anticipated. The war has now begun in earnest" Dumbledore replied.  
  
The reaction to this news was mixed. Snape stared pointedly at the wall, pretending to be bored with the conversation. McGonagal raised her hand to her mouth to stifle a gasp. Helsing let out a long breath and stroked her chin thoughtfully.  
  
"How many died?" Helsing asked after a moment.  
  
"I haven't received the final figures yet, but the last I heard there were 20 muggles dead and 3 aurors who arrived on the scene. No deatheaters have been caught" he said with a sigh.  
  
McGonagal put her head in her hands.  
  
"He's gotten smarter then" Helsing murmured.  
  
Dumbledore nodded in agreement.  
  
Snape rolled his eyes.  
  
"If its all the same to you Albus, I think we would be better off discussing what we are going to do next rather than sitting here moping about those that we cannot help or giving compliments to the Dark Lord!" he said, his voice holding the slightest trace of anger.  
  
"That is why we are here Severus" Dumbledore said in a tired voice.  
  
"I think that we should prepare all of our supporters so that they will be ready to come to our aid when it is necessary" Snape said, turning to Dumbledore. "Get together all the international allies and cover it with some sort of big event."  
  
"I can go back to the clans tonight and ensure that they are prepared for battle if it comes to that" Helsing added.  
  
"Well I'm sure we can all rest easy knowing that the greatest supporters of the Dark Lord in the last war are joining our ranks" Snape said sarcastically.  
  
"Still calling him the 'Dark Lord' Snape? Are you sure that your loyalties lie here?"  
  
"Enough!" Dumbledore said, getting up from his desk. Both Helsing and Snape stopped bickering and looked up at Dumbledore.  
  
"In this room we are all alleys and I would ask that you resolve your differences!" he said calmly. Helsing and Snape looked at each other momentarily, then nodded. Dumbledore sighed before slumping into his seat and continuing. "Alena, you go back to the clans tonight and make sure that they are prepared. Severus, you go back to Gimmauld Place and let everyone know that there will be a meeting tomorrow night. Minerva, you stay here, I'll need your help with some administrative details."  
  
The three of them nodded and Snape and Helsing got up to leave.  
  
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Harry climbed out of the portrait hole and looked around the corridor. He could see no one there, so he pulled his invisibility cloak over himself and headed down the stairs as quietly as he could. He saw Megan standing at the bottom of the staircase. She looked up as he approached.  
  
"Glad you could make it" she whispered so softly that he had to strain to hear.  
  
"How did you know I was here?" Harry whispered back.  
  
She looked confused for a moment, before shrugging with a small smile.  
  
"I don't know exactly. I can just feel you there" she replied.  
  
"What's this about?" Harry asked, starting to feel a little annoyed.  
  
Her smile turned to a frown.  
  
"I'm not exactly sure. Cho wanted to meet me and I thought that it would be better if someone came along." She said softly.  
  
"Why did she want you to meet her? And why did you ask me?" Harry asked confused.  
  
"You are the only person I know that has an invisibility cloak. Plus, there are some things that I think you ought to hear, and if you follow me, then I am not betraying a confidence." she replied, looking down at her watch. "It's nearly time. Follow me and try to keep quiet"  
  
With that she began to walk along the corridor, stopping for a moment and looking back before continuing. Harry shook his head under the invisibility cloak as he followed her.  
  
After making their way through endless corridors, Megan finally stopped in front of a stone wall. She looked over at Harry and indicated that he come closer, which he did. She whispered something softly to the wall and it opened, revealing a small room, with Cho pacing inside it. Harry let out an audible gasp and Megan coughed to cover it as Cho spun around.  
  
"You're late" she snapped.  
  
Megan merely shrugged as she moved into the room with Harry close behind. Harry felt the air move behind him as the wall went back in place and was thankful that he had been so close to Megan.  
  
"What do you want?" Megan asked, folding her arms defensively across her chest.  
  
"I want you to stop seeing Harry Potter" Cho said, with a hard expression. "Or else"  
  
Megan raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Is that a threat, Chang?" she asked politely.  
  
Cho smirked.  
  
"Take it however you like" she replied.  
  
Megan's expression didn't change as she walked a little closer.  
  
"Why are you so interested in Harry Potter?" she asked softly. "I mean, its common knowledge that you were together for a while last year and it ended badly. You were even with someone else afterwards. So why so interested now?"  
  
Cho's eyes narrowed.  
  
"What are you implying, Black?" she hissed angrily.  
  
"There are some rumours going around that the deatheaters are recruiting 6th and 7th years this year" Megan said, her eyes never moving from Cho's. "What better way to win favour than to offer the Dark Lord his enemy on a platter?"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about" Cho replied, but her eyes wandered away from Megan's penetrating stare.  
  
"Oh, but I think you do" Megan said, dropping her hands to her side. "I have it on a reliable source that you have been approached by one of the recruiters and, let's just say that what they were offering didn't seem to displease you?"  
  
"You don't know anything!" Cho hissed angrily, her face slightly flushed with anger and her eyes staring straight at the floor.  
  
Megan walked towards the wall and whispered the password. Harry followed silently as the door opened and she walked outside. She turned back as Cho looked up.  
  
"The war is starting, Chang. Make sure you're on the right side" Megan said before the wall slid closed behind her.  
  
Harry walked beside Megan silently as they made their way back to the Gryffindor Tower. Questions were running through his head so fast that he felt a little dizzy. They entered through the portrait hole and Megan sat down on one of the chairs near the fireplace. Harry took off the invisibility cloak and sat at another chair.  
  
"Why did you ask me tonight?" he asked softly. Megan looked up at him and smiled faintly.  
  
"Why do you think?" she countered. He frowned.  
  
"I don't know" he said slowly. She sighed and turned back to the fire.  
  
"You needed to know" she said simply. Harry considered this for a moment.  
  
"Who is the contact you were talking about?" he asked.  
  
"I can't tell you that" she replied without looking up. "I gave them my word"  
  
"Is it Malfoy?" Harry asked. She chuckled and looked back over to him.  
  
"Now what makes you think it would be Draco?" she asked. Harry shrugged.  
  
"He's the only slytherin that I've ever seen you talking to" He replied.  
  
She sighed and shook her head.  
  
"I hoped after tonight that you might give up on your impression of all slytherins being dark wizards and witches" Megan said softly.  
  
Harry stared at her for a moment, dumbfounded. She looked up at him again.  
  
"It doesn't matter what house you're in Harry. Inside every person is the capability to do good or evil. A light side and a dark side. White and Black. The truth is, no one is really good or evil. The black and white that you place the world in, it doesn't exist. Only different shades of grey"  
  
She got up then and turned to Harry, kissing him softly on the forehead.  
  
"Get some sleep. I'll talk to you in the morning" she murmured, then walked up to the girls' dormitory. 


	24. Chapter 24 The Announcement

Chapter 24 -The Announcement  
  
The next few days went by in a blur for Harry. Before he knew it, Friday had come and he was making his way down to the Great Hall for breakfast. He hadn't spoken to Megan since Monday night because she seemed to always be at the library after classes, and he wasn't particularly interested in going there to find her. He had wanted some time to absorb what she had told him last time.  
  
He entered the Great Hall and sat at his usual spot next to Ron. Hermione was sitting on the other side of Ron and they were arguing about something. Harry shook his head as he served himself some bacon and eggs. He felt someone brush against him as they sat down and looked over. Megan was sitting next to him and beaming at him.  
  
"I haven't seen you at breakfast all week" Harry commented. "I was beginning to think you didn't eat"  
  
She laughed as she served herself some porridge.  
  
"Usually I go down to the kitchens. I can't stand all the noise this early in the morning"  
  
"Then why did you come down today?" Harry asked with a furrowed brow. She smiled again and leaned close to whisper something.  
  
"There's a rumour that there will be a special announcement this morning" She said. "I didn't want to miss it"  
  
Harry was about to reply when Professor McGonagall called the students to attention and Professor Dumbledore stood up to address them all.  
  
"If I could have your attention for a few moments, I have an announcement to make" Dumbledore started, looking around at all the curious faces staring up at him. "The dates for the quidditch matches have changed this year. You will find the new dates on the noticeboards in each common room later this evening. The reason for this change is that we have decided to hold an international schools quidditch final here at Hogwarts"  
  
The students began to buzz with excitement and Dumbledore waited for the noise to die down before speaking again.  
  
"I would ask that each of the house quidditch teams prepare themselves, as the winning house team will be the team to play in the final. Teams from the other schools will be arriving in late February. When the date has been finalised, you will be informed. On an additional note, there will be a ball in honour of our guests that will be held in the first week of March. As these events will require a great deal of planning, I would ask that the prefects and the head boy and girl assist the teachers in organising theses events. That is all"  
  
With that he sat down, eyes twinkling merrily at the students who had erupted into discussions as soon as he had concluded his speech. Beside Harry, Megan sighed. He looked at her quizzically.  
  
"More work. As if I didn't have enough to do already" she grumbled, causing Harry to laugh.  
  
She glared at him, but he could see the hint of a smile that appeared as she looked away. After breakfast was over, Megan stood up and kissed Harry on the cheek before whispering that she would see him after classes and rushing off. Harry smiled as he got up, not noticing that someone was watching him with a glare as he left the hall.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------  
  
"Very original" Someone said sarcastically into Dumbledore's ear after the rest of the staff and students had left. "How long did it take you to come up with that?"  
  
Dumbledore grinned.  
  
"Well I do believe that it took Minerva and I several hours to come to our decision" Dumbledore replied cheerily.  
  
Helsing rolled her eyes and chuckled as Dumbledore got up and faced her. They walked out of the Great Hall together.  
  
"Have you given any more thought to the situation with Mr Potter?" he asked innocently.  
  
She rolled her eyes again.  
  
"I must admit, the opinion that I had of him originally has not changed. However, I will let you know of my decision when I decide on the new classes. At the moment though, I have had other things on my mind" she replied.  
  
"Are you still concerned over Miss Black?" Dumbledore asked casually. She nodded and walked silently for a moment before elaborating.  
  
"She was looking better today" Helsing replied with a shrug. "The negativity I saw in her before has gone. I don't know how she managed it, but whatever she did, I hope she keeps it up."  
  
With that, they parted ways.  
  
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Harry, Ron and Hermine sat down in the Defence classroom, eagerly awaiting the lesson. While Harry had received a number of bumps and bruises from the last few classes, at least they were learning something new.  
  
As Professor Helsing swiftly entered the room, silence fell on the classroom. She walked behind her desk and surveyed the class for a moment before marking the roll. Once that was done, she touched her wand to the parchment and it disappeared.  
  
"Wands away. Books out" she commanded, walking in between the desks to ensure that her wishes were complied with. They silently did as they were told and she stood once again at the front, waiting for their full attention before speaking again.  
  
"On Monday there will be a class exam which you will all take unless you are incapacitated in the hospital wing. If that is the case then the exam will be arranged for another date. This exam will be important in determining your final mark for this year so do not treat it lightly" she said crisply.  
  
The class erupted into vocal complaints and groans.  
  
"SILENCE!" Helsing roared.  
  
Every one of the students froze mid-sentence and stared at the teacher, who was now calmly picking up a pile of papers.  
  
"I will give you a list of the topics that will be covered on the exam. You may spend the rest of this lesson preparing and I urge you to revise any other topics during the course of the weekend. This will be done in silence. If any of you have any questions or complaints, please wait until after this class is finished or come and see me in my office after classes are done for the day" She said, walking back to her desk and sitting behind it.  
  
Harry looked down at the parchment that he had just been handed. It contained every topic that they had covered since first year, plus a lot more. Ron made a strange noise in the back of his throat.  
  
"But Harry" he whispered. "We'll never be able to study all this and do the try-outs for quidditch!"  
  
Before Harry could reply, Helsing called out.  
  
"5 points from Gryffindor Mr Weasley, if you speak again it will be 50"  
  
Ron turned slightly green and went back to scanning the list of topics.  
  
After the lesson had finished, Hermione was very quiet. Harry noticed as they walked out of the room that she cast a strange look at Professor Helsing. He frowned, wondering what she was thinking, but quickly discarded the thought when Ron began to talk about the quidditch try-outs which would be held the next day.  
  
The next class was transfigurations, where Professor McGonagall was teaching them how to transfigure liquids. They spent the rest of the lesson trying to transfigure water into pumpkin juice. After the lesson, Harry and Ron went to lunch, but Hermione stayed back, telling them that she had something that she wanted to clarify with the teacher and assuring them that she would meet them downstairs.  
  
When Hermione did come down, Harry noticed that she had a strange glint in her eye that he didn't usually see there. After watching her for a moment, he couldn't see any other signs of her acting strangely, so he dismissed it. He glanced around the hall to see if Megan was there, but couldn't see her anywhere. With a sigh, he got up and walked with Ron and Hermione to Care of Magical Creatures.  
  
The afternoon classes went by quickly and after dinner, Harry trudged back to the Gryffindor Tower to begin revising for the test on Monday. Ordinarily he would wait until Sunday night, but something about what Helsing had said in the lesson that day made him think that he would need to spend the extra time preparing. Ron had decided to go with their previous methods of studying at the last minute and was currently engaged in a game of wizards chess with Colin Creevey.  
  
After about an hour of studying, Harry noticed someone sit down in the chair beside him. He looked up and saw Megan resting her head on her elbows, looking over at him with tired eyes.  
  
"You look beat" Harry commented.  
  
She nodded her head and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again they were a little less glazed over. She lifted her head and looked down at the work he was doing.  
  
"I didn't think you were one to study this early in the term" she said, while scanning down the page.  
  
"Helsing assigned a test that she said was going to be important for our grades this year. I can't afford to fail and I've got to go to the quidditch try-out tomorrow, so I figured I'd try and get as much done as I could tonight." He replied, looking back at his work and beginning to write again.  
  
"Probably a good idea. She strikes me as being a bit harsh" Megan replied. "You look like you could use a break though. How about I go and get you a snack from the kitchens? It will revitalise you"  
  
Harry looked up to see her grinning at him and agreed. She came back later with an armful of cakes and scones. By this time, most of the other students had gone to bed. Hermione and Ron were still up, but were sitting at the other side of the common room talking in low voices, so Megan and Harry were pretty much alone. They spent nearly an hour talking and laughing at jokes before Megan looked at her watch and got up.  
  
"I have to go. I'll see you later alright?" she said, sweeping down to give him a quick kiss on the lips before bounded off. Harry stared after her with a scowl before going back to his work. He could find out what she was up to when he had a little less work to do. He paused, then shook his head. He couldn't believe he had just put work ahead of curiosity. 'Hermione must be rubbing off on me' he thought as he continued reading. 


	25. Chapter 25 Quidditch Tryouts

Chapter 25 - Quidditch try-outs  
  
Harry jumped and looked around. He felt a blanket fall from his shoulders and realised that he was still sitting at the desk in the common room where he had been studying the night before. He realised he must have fallen asleep while he was studying and looked around the room to see what had woken him. He noticed that he was still in the common room, sitting at the desk where he had been doing his work the night before. The fire had burned down to embers. He jumped when he felt someone grab his shoulder and turned to see Ron standing behind him.  
  
"What's the matter?" Harry asked groggily, rubbing his eyes to get rid of the sleep that had accumulated there.  
  
"The quidditch try-outs start in about half an hour" Ron replied. "You've got to hurry up and get ready."  
  
Harry looked at the time and swore under his breath, shaking his head to try and lift the fog that had settled over his brain.  
  
"Were you doing this all night?" Ron asked, looking down at the notes in front of Harry with a bemused expression.  
  
Harry nodded as he got up. As he walked past, he heard Ron mutter something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "absolutely nutters", but decided to ignore it. He quickly changed, grabbed his broom and then headed back down to the common room where Ron was waiting for him.  
  
When they got down to the quidditch pitch, they realised that they weren't the first to arrive. Ginny and Megan were standing and talking to Andrew Kirke and Jack Sloper. Both girls looked extremely flushed and out of breath. Harry raised his eyebrows at them as he and Ron approached. They both grinned back at him.  
  
"I didn't know you were trying out today Megan" Harry commented.  
  
"I'm not" Megan replied. "I'm just here for moral support"  
  
She winked at Ginny who grinned in return. Before Harry could say anything else, a number of other Gryffindors came onto the pitch. Katie Bell was walking with Hermione. A little way behind them were three 3rd year students that Harry didn't know by name.  
  
Ron called them all to order and declared that the try-outs were to begin. Megan and Hermione wished everyone luck and then went to sit out on the stands together while the rest of the group got their brooms ready. They only needed 2 chasers for the team and there were 4 students trying out, so Ron decided that he, Harry and Katie would all act as keepers while Jack and Andrew continued in their roles as beaters, and that they would try out two perspective chasers at a time.  
  
That decided, Ron ordered them all to mount their brooms. Once everyone else was in the air, Ron quickly let out the bludgers and then threw the quaffle into the air before racing towards the goal posts. Hermione and Megan cheered from the stands as the try-outs began in earnest.  
  
After two hours, Ron finally called out to everyone to land. He quickly dismissed the 4 people, promising that he would let them know by that evening and turned back to the other team members. After a lengthy discussion, they finally agreed on Ginny and a third year by the name of Millie Jenkins.  
  
Harry went to have a shower, and when he made his way across the pitch towards the castle with Ron, he found Hermione, Megan and Ginny waiting for them. They all walked back together, chatting about the try-outs and the talent of the people who had tried out.  
  
"So why didn't you try out Megan? You're great on a broom!" Ginny said, jumping from foot to foot with excitement, as Ron had just informed her that she was to be one of the new chasers.  
  
Megan's smile fell and her expression became blank.  
  
"I don't play quidditch. I'm much better off sticking to my studies" Megan replied in a strained voice, before excusing herself to go to the library. Ginny stared after her for a moment..  
  
"What did I do?" Ginny asked, looking over at the others.  
  
"You left your brain in your common room" a drawled voice called from a few feet away. They turned and saw Draco Malfoy sitting by himself with a book not too far from where they were standing. He stood and approached them.  
  
"Might want to let her cool off a bit before you go looking for her little Weasel" he said mockingly to Ginny. "But let me know if you do go. I'll enjoy watching you hexed into oblivion"  
  
With a smirk, he walked away, leaving all four of them confused.  
  
"Don't listen to him" Hermione said after a moment. "He's just trying to upset you Ginny"  
  
Harry had a sneaking suspicion that this wasn't the case. He had watched Malfoy walk in the same direction that Megan had taken.  
  
Harry didn't see Megan again until after dinner that night. He had spent the afternoon in the common room with Ron and Hermione going over their homework and had gone down to the library to research for the DADA test. Megan was sitting at a table by herself, totally immersed in a book and scribbling frantically on some spare parchment at irregular intervals.  
  
Harry quickly gathered the books he needed, then took the seat opposite her and waited for her to realise he was there. He had been sitting there for a good two minutes before she looked up and gave a start.  
  
"I didn't notice you come in" she said, turning back to her book.  
  
"Must be interesting reading" Harry commented, raising his eyebrows.  
  
She looked up at him and gave a small smile.  
  
"What's the title?" Harry asked. She frowned for a moment before reluctantly lifting the book so that he could read the title. He gasped when he saw what it was.  
  
The History and Use of Unforgivable Curses and their Impacts on Society - by Gathilda Saelthar  
  
"Private Study Assignment" Megan said, before Harry could comment, then turned back to the book. "For Defence. Professor Helsing gave me a pass for it"  
  
They spent the next 2 hours studying silently before Madame Pince informed them that it would be lights out soon. Reluctantly, Megan packed the book into her bag and she and Harry made their way back to the common room. Harry was thinking back to Megan's reaction earlier that day.  
  
"About this morning..." Harry started, but Megan cut him off.  
  
"Don't worry about it" She said with a smile. "It's nothing really"  
  
"I don't understand..." Harry tried again, but she cut in.  
  
"I had an accident playing quidditch when I was little" she said, still smiling. "I'm fine now, the conversation just brought back some bad memories"  
  
Harry frowned, but nodded his acceptance, and Megan took his hand in hers and smiled as him as they rounded the corner and came face to face with the portrait of the fat lady.  
  
Harry found that Ron and Hermione had gone to bed, and after saying goodnight to Megan, he too went upstairs. He didn't notice Megan creeping out of the portrait hole again after he had gone up the stairs.  
  
Monday morning came quickly and found Harry and Ron discussing quidditch game plans, while Hermione stared blankly at the head table, strangely distant.  
  
"What's with you today Hermione?" Ron asked suddenly, noticing suddenly how quiet she had been that morning.  
  
"Have you ever noticed that Professor Helsing always wears her hood up when she comes to meals?" Hermione asked thoughtfully.  
  
Harry and Ron shared confused looks.  
  
"Can't say I have" Ron muttered, piling more eggs onto his plate. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"Nothing" Hermione said after a moment, suddenly snapping out of her trance- like state and smiling at them. "No reason"  
  
As she began eating her own breakfast with enthusiasm, Ron and Harry exchanged looks once again. They both knew that it was more than nothing. 


	26. Chapter 26 A grievous error

Chapter 26 - A grievous error  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione left the Great Hall soon afterwards and made their way towards the DADA classroom. Hermione was still distant, and Ron and Harry had decided to just ignore her, figuring it was some girly problem that they didn't want to know about.  
  
They reached the classroom and sat down at their usual seats. Professor Helsing had not yet arrived, so Harry took out his book and started reading a chapter that he hadn't finished going through the night before. Ron looked confused from Harry to Hermione and rubbed his eyes, as if worried that he was dreaming. It seemed to him that his two friends had switched places.  
  
Professor Helsing entered the classroom soon afterwards and Hermione snapped out of her daze once again as the professor gave the instructions for the test. She explained that the tests were to be completed in half an hour, and the rest of the time would be used for a normal lesson.  
  
She handed them all the test papers, then cast a spell on each student which isolated them into large, blue bubbles.  
  
"The moment that you either finish the exam or the time is up, the bubble will disappear and I will come to collect your papers. You may start now" Professor Helsing said, after she had finished with the last student and walked back to her desk.  
  
Harry opened the paper and read through a few of the questions. He grinned as he began answering, realising that he needn't have studied so hard after all, as he already knew the answers. He finished the paper quickly and was shocked to find that he was the first to finish. Even Hermione was still frantically scribbling answers on the page.  
  
The blue bubble disappeared and Professor Helsing came over to take his work. She handed him another parchment that had a reading assignment that they were supposed to do that lesson on it. Harry went to work on that while waiting for his friends to finish the test.  
  
Hermione finished soon afterwards, and then other students in the class finished theirs. After the half hour was up, Professor Helsing collected the papers from everyone else and handed them all the reading task, before going back to her desk. She conquered a cup of tea to sip while marking the papers.  
  
As Harry was reading about the ethics of duelling, he thought he heard Hermione mutter something under her breath, but when he looked up, she looked as if she was fully intent on the reading task. He shrugged, thinking that he must have been hearing things and went back to his work.  
  
A few minutes later, as Professor Helsing was taking a sip of her tea, she dropped the cup, making spitting noises and scowling. The cup broke as it hit the stone floor and she bent over the remnants, putting her finger into the tea and then raising the finger to her nose to sniff at it. Harry looked around at the others, wondering whether Professor Helsing was going crazy. Judging by their expressions, Harry was sure that they were thinking along the same lines.  
  
Professor Helsing straightened then, and turned an icy glare onto the students that would have made Snape cringe if he were to see it. She slowly walked past each desk in the room, eyeing each student carefully, before walking back to the front of the room.  
  
She turned her attention back to the students, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring down at them.  
  
"Someone in this room has transfigured my tea" Professor Helsing said in steely voice.  
  
There were a few murmurs and whispers coming from the back of the class that were quickly silenced by a glare from Professor Helsing.  
  
"Rest assured I am aware of the identity of the perpetrator and I urge them to come forward now and reduce their punishment."  
  
The students looked at each other, but no one said anything. Professor Helsing's expression hardened.  
  
"No?" She asked in a soft voice. "Very well. Class is dismissed for today. Read chapters 3 and 4 of your textbook before next lesson."  
  
With that, she sat back at her desk and continued marking the papers. The students began to pack their books. Before they made their way to the door, Helsing spoke again.  
  
"Mr Potter, Mr Longbottom and Miss Granger, could you please stay behind" She said, not looking up from the papers she was marking.  
  
Hermione visibly paled. Neville was shaking as he put his bag back onto the desk. Harry merely shrugged at Ron, before turning back to face the teacher.  
  
Once all the other students had left, Professor Helsing got up and faced the three remaining students. She walked over to Neville first.  
  
Hermione couldn't make out what they were saying, but a few moments later, Neville left the room with a grin on his face. Professor Helsing then turned to Harry.  
  
"Now then Mr Potter. In the next few weeks, the defence against the dark arts classes will be changed and many won't be taking the subject anymore. But with the threat of dark wizards at the moment, Professor Dumbledore thought it would be best to run the D.A group again this year. The teachers are quite busy at the moment with arrangements for the tournament and such, and therefore I would like to know if you would like to run the group again this year?" she said.  
  
Hermione tuned out at this point, too worried about what the teacher could have called her back for to think of anything else. 'There's no way that she could know' Hermione thought to herself, but the thought didn't take away the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.  
  
Before she knew it, Harry had left and Professor Helsing had turned to her. Professor Helsing smiled at Hermione, but the smile held no warmth. Hermione felt her stomach sink further.  
  
"Miss Granger" Professor Helsing said softly. "Please take a seat. This may take a while"  
  
"I have another class" Hermione replied shakily. Professor Helsing's smile widened.  
  
"I'm afraid this cannot wait. Sit down Miss Granger" she replied, indicating the chair in front of her desk. Hermione reluctantly sat down and faced her professor.  
  
"May I ask you, Miss Granger, why you saw fit to use transfiguration spells during my class?" Professor Helsing asked, looking straight into Hermione's eyes. Hermione paled considerably.  
  
"I... I didn't...."  
  
"Please do not lie to me Miss Granger, it demeans us both. Now either you answer the question here, or we will take this to the headmaster's office" Professor Helsing said.  
  
"I thought you were a vampire, but none of my friends would believe me, so I thought..." Hermione trailed off.  
  
"You thought if you turned my drink to garlic and I reacted to it, that would prove that I was a vampire to your friends?" Professor Helsing offered.  
  
Hermione nodded.  
  
"I know it was a stupid idea..." she started, but Professor Helsing cut her off.  
  
"Yes, it was a stupid idea. Do you have any idea what would have happened if I was a vampire?" she asked.  
  
Hermione stared mutely at her, so she continued.  
  
"The garlic juice that you concocted was so strong, Miss Granger, that had I actually been a vampire, then that one sip would have been enough to kill me" Professor Helsing stated calmly.  
  
Hermione's eyes widened, and she paled further.  
  
"I... I didn't mean..."  
  
"Do you realise that Vampires are under the protection of magical creatures act of 1984, Miss Granger?" Professor Helsing continued.  
  
Hermione shook her head.  
  
"No? Well maybe you should do a little research next time before you foolishly rush into a situation that could have dire consequences" Helsing said scathingly.  
  
Hermione felt a flush of anger at this comment.  
  
"I always research..."  
  
"Obviously not enough" Professor Helsing cut her off again. "If you had researched this instead of satisfying your curiosity straight away, you would have realised that because of the protection of magical creatures act of 1984, the minimum punishment for killing a magical creature protected under that act is 25 years in Azkaban prison. The fact that you acted as you did, thinking that I was a vampire, is enough for me to have you charged with attempted murder and have you in azkaban prison for 15 years."  
  
Professor Helsing's voice had risen towards the end of this discussion and Hermione swayed, feeling extremely dizzy.  
  
Professor Helsing got up abruptly and walked out of the room. She came back a moment later with a vial of potion, which she handed to Hermione. Hermione looked up at her questioningly.  
  
"A calming potion, Miss Granger. I can't have you fainting on me now can I?" she said, sounding tired. Hermione drank the potion and felt a little less queasy. Professor Helsing sat down again on the other side of the desk and ran a hand through her hair. They were silent for a few moments.  
  
"4 weeks detention Miss Granger, on Friday and Saturday nights. You will report here at 8pm on these nights to serve your detention. 100 points will also be taken from Gryffindor, and I want you to do a 12 foot essay on each of the magical creatures protected under the protection of magical creatures act of 1984. 1 essay for each week's detention. Be glad that I am not taking this matter to the headmaster, otherwise you would likely face immediate expulsion and a criminal trial. Now take this, and go to your next class." Professor Helsing said.  
  
Hermione stared at her for a moment, before taking the note that was offered to her and walking back out of the classroom. She turned as she reached the door and saw Professor Helsing with her head in her hands.  
  
"Thankyou Professor" she said softly. Professor Helsing looked up.  
  
"Just don't let it happen again Miss Granger. Prefects are to set an example for the younger students. Your behaviour today has greatly disappointed me" she replied, before getting up and walking through the door behind her to her office.  
  
Hermione left the classroom feeling even worse than she had when Professor Helsing dealt the punishment. 


	27. Chapter 27 Headlines

Note to all my readers: Please leave reviews and let me know whether you like what I'm writing or if you think its stupid. I like constructive criticism, and I would like to know whether I should change anything about the story or whether its ok the way it is. Anyhow, back to the story.  
  
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Chapter 27 - Headlines  
  
Hermione was considerably more quiet after leaving the meeting with Professor Helsing. Harry and Ron were a little concerned, but weren't sure how to approach the topic, so they didn't mention it, hoping that when Hermione was ready, she would tell them.  
  
The next few days went by quickly, with Ron and Harry practicing quidditch at every spare opportunity and Hermione rushing off to the library to get her homework and essays completed. Friday was upon them before they knew it. As they made their way to breakfast, Harry and Ron were discussing quidditch strategies for the first game of the season, which was to take place the next weekend due to the time constraints left by the inter-school competition.  
  
As they entered the Great Hall, Harry was surprised to find that Megan was at breakfast that morning. She waved to them from her seat between Ginny and Neville, then bent over near Neville and started talking animatedly, pointing to a piece of parchment as she did. Harry frowned, but was distracted from the scene by Ron pulling him down into a chair at the other side of the table and asking him about a quidditch move.  
  
During breakfast, Harry looked up at the head table, where the teachers seemed to be acting a little strangely. Professor Helsing was standing next to Professor Dumbledore's seat, saying something in his ear, holding a copy of the Daily Prophet up and pointing at it. Dumbledore looked down at the paper, then his expression darkened and he turned to say something to McGonagall. McGonagall's eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth in shock. She nodded to Dumbledore and he and Helsing left the Hall quickly.  
  
Harry looked over at Ron, who had been eating his breakfast and was oblivious to what had just happened at the head table. Harry started to say something to him, but heard someone gasp. Both Ron and Harry turned to see who it was and saw Hermione looking down at a copy of "The Daily Prophet", looking extremely pale. She looked up at them and wordlessly handed them the paper to see for themselves. The headline jumped out at them first, in big bold letters.  
  
"Ministry to enact new policy against dark creatures"  
  
Ron and Harry looked at each other in shock before they started to read the article.  
  
'Due to the rising amount of deaths through deatheater attacks in the past two months, the Ministry has seen fit to employ a new policy. The policy requires all who, under the policy, are considered 'dark creatures' to report to the ministry for registration.  
  
The ministry has defined 'dark creatures' to include "any magical being with the ability to communicate with humans that has a distinguishing feature which sets them apart from ordinary witches and wizards" says Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge. The exceptions to this definition include vampires, house-elves and dementors.  
  
Upon registration, the creature will be required to hand over their wand, if they have one, and will also be subject to the incarcerous spell, which will prevent them being able to use offensive magic against a witch or wizard. Any dark creature which does not come forward for registration will be considered dangerous by the ministry, and aurors have been instructed to kill on sight, any dark creature who has not been registered.  
  
This is the first in a number of new initiatives hoped to prevent He-who- must-not-be-named from recruiting the aid of dangerous creatures as he did in his last rise to power...."  
  
The article went on, but Harry had lost interest and turned away, thinking of the implications of this new policy, and wondering if that was what the teachers had been talking about. Ron handed the paper back to Hermione.  
  
"So what's so shocking about that?" He asked, piling more eggs onto his plate.  
  
Hermione and Harry both looked at him in disbelief.  
  
"Didn't you read the article?" Hermione asked, sounding exasperated.  
  
"Yeah" he replied as he shoved another mouthful of food into his mouth, "so?"  
  
"So, by the ministry's definition, Remus is a dark creature" she hissed.  
  
Ron's eyes bulged as he realised the relevance of the article and he choked on the food he was eating. Once he had recovered, he went to say something when someone came up behind them.  
  
"Move along you three or you'll be late for class" McGonagall said.  
  
They looked around and realised that they were the only ones left sitting at the table. They quickly got up and headed out of the Great Hall. They were about to head off to class, when they saw Megan walking towards them.  
  
"Hermione!" She exclaimed. "I need some help for a project that I'm doing. Is there any way you could meet me in the library at lunch?"  
  
Hermione smiled and agreed. Ron and Harry shook their heads.  
  
"Can I talk to you for a minute Harry?" Megan asked quietly, as they were about to leave for class.  
  
Ron and Hermione chuckled as they walked towards class, leaving Harry to talk privately with Megan.  
  
"Have you got practice tonight?" she asked as soon as they were out of hearing range. Harry shook his head.  
  
"Good" She said with a smile. "Can you meet me in the astronomy tower after dinner? There's something I want to show you"  
  
He agreed, then Megan looked at her watch.  
  
"We're going to be late if we stay here any longer" she said, leaning over and kissing him on the cheek. "See you tonight then"  
  
With that, she raced off down the corridor. Harry turned back and headed off to Defence against the dark arts, wondering what it could be that she would want to show him.  
  
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Hermione entered the library at lunch, feeling exhausted. Defence against the dark arts had been a practical test of all the defence spells that they had learned since 3rd year. Her second class had consisted of Ancient Runes, where she had spent the lesson unsuccessfully trying to decipher a particularly difficult inscription. Now all she wanted to do was rest, but she didn't have the heart to cancel her study session with Megan.  
  
She looked around the tables and saw Megan sitting at the far end of the library poring over a book that was nearly half the size of her. She looked up as Hermione approached and waved her over excitedly. Hermione fought the urge to groan as she set her things down on the table and sat down in the chair, her muscles still aching from the morning's lessons.  
  
"So what did you want help with?" She asked. Megan's eyes lit up and she smiled. Hermione was surprised, as she rarely saw the girl smile.  
  
"I'm researching muggle methods of medicine" she said. "At the moment I'm focusing on the studies muggles have done with respect to the functions of the brain, brain wave patterns, brain damage and its effects on those patterns, things like that"  
  
Hermione blinked. This was definitely not what she had been expecting.  
  
"Why are you researching that?" she asked.  
  
Megan hesitated a moment before answering.  
  
"It's an assignment for muggle studies. We have a major project due in two months and I chose muggle medicine as my topic, but I realised when I started to research it, that it would take too long to do a general project, so I decided to focus on their studies of the brain because it seemed to be the most interesting topic" she said in a rush.  
  
"Alright" Hermione said slowly. "So what do you need my help for?"  
  
"Well" she said, looking down at the book in front of her. "I've done quite a bit of research already, but I don't know muggle methods enough to know exactly where I should be looking for this sort of thing. I've tried looking through the muggle section of the library, but I can't seem to find much here. I was hoping that you could help me look through, or maybe you know someone who might be able to suggest some titles of books and we can order them in" she explained.  
  
"Order them in?" Hermione asked, looking confused.  
  
"Yes," Megan said, sounding a little distracted as she flipped through the book once again. "I have permission to order in any books I need. If you can get the names of any books that would help, just tell Madame Pince and she'll order them in. Just tell her that they are for me"  
  
A look of disbelief crossed Hermione's face, closely followed by suspicion.  
  
"Why would they specially order in books for your project?" She asked.  
  
Megan looked up at this and frowned.  
  
"I spoke to Dumbledore when I couldn't find the information I was looking for" she said, looking irritated. "He fixed everything so all I have to do is tell Madame Pince what I want and she'll order it for me"  
  
Hermione crossed her arms across her chest.  
  
"I don't believe you" she said. "I've talked to Dumbledore about the lack of resources here before and he never did anything about it then. Why would he do that for you?"  
  
Megan's expression turned from irritation to anger.  
  
"I can't believe you! I thought we were friends! Friends are supposed to trust each other!" she said, glaring at Hermione.  
  
"Friends aren't meant to lie to each other either" Hermione said, glaring back.  
  
"I'm not lying!" Megan said, a little too loudly. Out of the corner of their eyes, the two girls saw Madame Pince giving them a dirty look. Megan then took a deep breath and calmed down before speaking again.  
  
"Look, if you don't want to help, then just leave. Otherwise, go and have a look in the muggle section and see if you can find anything relevant"  
  
With that, she bent back over the book and started to make notes. Hermione looked shocked, but quickly recovered and went over to the muggle section of the library.  
  
After searching for about 15 minutes, she was beginning to feel extremely frustrated. It seemed that Megan was right about the lack of information in this section. She couldn't believe that she hadn't realised this before, but then again, when she had needed books for muggle studies, she had written home and her parents had sent whatever books she needed. As she was searching through "Outdated medical techniques of the Muggle world" she heard someone behind her. She spun around and came face to face with Malfoy.  
  
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the mudblood" he drawled.  
  
Two muffled 'gaffaw"s announced the presence of his stupid sidekicks.  
  
"What do you want Malfoy" she hissed.  
  
"Nothing at all" he said loftily, looking around the section with distaste. "Tell me, what are you doing in this section Granger? I know that you don't take muggle studies anymore. Have you finally seen that mudbloods aren't welcome among decent wizard folk and decided to return to where you belong?"  
  
Hermione felt anger rise up inside her, but before she had the chance to respond, someone grabbed Malfoy's shoulder, turned him around and punched him squarely in the nose, causing him to fall back into one of the bookshelves. The bookshelf looked as if it were going to fall, but suddenly righted itself again. Hermione guessed that it must have been protected with magic to stop it from falling over. Malfoy groaned as he raised his hand up to his injured nose, which had started sprouting blood over the floor. Hermione wrinkled her nose and stood back from the flow, then looked over to see who had punched Malfoy. She saw Megan standing there looking furious.  
  
"Don't you ever call her that again" Megan said to Malfoy in an icy voice which sent chills down Hermione's spine. Crabbe and Goyle came up behind her and she spun around, wand in hand.  
  
"Oblivate Amentos" she said, pointing her wand at them. They both froze as the spell hit and their eyes glazed over just as Madame Pince came over.  
  
"What happened here?" she demanded, seeing Malfoy bleeding over the floor and groaning.  
  
Hermione was about to answer when Megan stepped forward.  
  
"Draco was about to hex Hermione when she used a deflection charm and the spell backfired on him. It was self defence Madame Pince. Even ask Crabbe and Goyle here" she said.  
  
Madame Pince turned to Crabbe and Goyle and they nodded. She looked back at Megan suspiciously. Malfoy stood up.  
  
"She's lying! She used obliviade on dem" he said.  
  
Madame Pince waved her wand at the two boys, doing a quick scan for recent spells. "I see no evidence of spells here Mr Malfoy" she said, looking irritated. "I want the three of you out of here now. You should go to the hospital wing and get that checked. I will be speaking to your head of house about an appropriate punishment"  
  
Malfoy looked furious, but after glaring at Megan, he left anyway, with his two sidekicks following closely behind, looking a little confused.  
  
"You two go back to your studying. I don't want to hear another peep out of you" Madame Pince warned, after waving her wand to clean the blood from the floor.  
  
"Yes Madame Pince" the two girls chorused, and Madame Pince walked away.  
  
Megan slowly turned around and chanced a glance at Hermione, who was looking a little shocked. Once Hermione recovered, she turned to Megan.  
  
"Where did you learn that spell?" Hermione asked, sounding a little frightened. "I've never heard of it before."  
  
"It's not exactly something that they teach in school" Megan replied softly, rubbing her hand unconsciously. Hermione looked at her curiously. She noticed and held up her hand with a rueful grin.  
  
"I think it hurt me more than it hurt him" she said.  
  
They both laughed, then Hermione took out her wand and pointed it at Megan's hand. She didn't notice when Megan flinched slightly. She muttered a simple numbing charm on the hand, then put her wand back in her pocket. Megan gingerly flexed her fingers, then smiled at Hermione.  
  
"Thanks" she said softly.  
  
They stood for a few moments in silence.  
  
"Are you going to tell? About before I mean" Megan said softly. Hermione thought for a moment, before shaking her head. Megan smiled shyly before picking up a book.  
  
"Have you tried this one yet?" she asked.  
  
The tension between them eased as they went back to work and by the end of lunch, they were both joking and laughing as they packed the books back onto the shelves. 


	28. Chapter 28 Full moons and Azurian Crysta...

A/N  
  
I did this chapter in a rush, so I may change it a little... Will let you know.  
  
Chapter 28 - Full moons and Azurian Crystals  
  
Harry walked slowly to the astronomy tower, not really feeling in the mood for anything other than sleep. All of the classes had been pretty full on that day, but none more so than Defence against the Dark Arts. Harry thought that whatever had caused Professor Helsing to race out of the hall that morning with Professor Dumbledore may have been the reason she was so hard on the class that morning, but the reasoning didn't help the soreness in his limbs.  
  
He finally got to the door of the tower and tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. He frowned and stared at the door for a moment before it opened and before he could gather his wits, he was pulled forcefully through the doorway. He landed in a heap on the floor and looked up to see Megan looking out the door, then casting a spell on the door.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" Harry asked, feeling a little annoyed at the treatment.  
  
She looked back at him and smiled.  
  
"You didn't want any company did you?" she said sweetly as she held out her hand to help him up.  
  
He looked at her hand warily for a moment before accepting it and pulling himself off the ground. She leaned up and kissed him softly before pulling him over towards the edge of the tower.  
  
There was a small blanket spread out over the stone, which they both sat on. Harry took the time to gaze around properly for the first time since he arrived.  
  
The stars were glowing brightly, and even though the moon was covered by clouds, there was enough light to see. Around the tower, there were strings, suspended in mid air, which had small crystals dangling down from them. Harry looked up at them confused, then looked back at Megan, who was still smiling.  
  
"It's a full moon tonight" she said softly.  
  
Harry raised his eyebrows.  
  
"What does that have to do with anything?" he asked, feeling a little annoyed.  
  
"Just watch" she said.  
  
"Watch what?" He asked.  
  
She merely smiled, and Harry felt his irritation rising inside him. He looked up to say something else, but felt a pain in his scar and doubled over.  
  
"Are you ok?" Megan asked  
  
"Yeah I'm fine" Harry said, the warning from Professor Helsing sprang into his mind and he cleared his mind. The pain gradually subsided and he looked up to see Megan staring down at him nervously.  
  
"Maybe we should do this some other time" she said softly, looking disappointed.  
  
Harry sighed. He wanted nothing more than to go back to the tower and sleep, but he couldn't stand to see her looking so dejected  
  
"No, it's fine. Really" he assured her.  
  
"Are you sure? You look pretty tired" she said, sounding unconvinced.  
  
"I just have a lot on my mind, that's all" Harry explained. Megan was silent for a minute considering this.  
  
"Well if you ever need to talk, you know where I am" she said, then turned back towards the sky. She suddenly sat up straighter and took out her wand.  
  
"It's about to start" she whispered.  
  
Harry looked towards where she was looking, and saw the moon coming out from behind the clouds. He watched as the light from the moon hit one of the crystals. The light bounced off the crystals in the circle, spreading light of all colours around them.  
  
Next to him, he could hear Megan mutter something, but couldn't make it out. He felt a swell of magical energy pass by him, and the light suddenly became a bright white, causing Harry to have to shield his eyes. Harry felt a wave of calm rush over him, before everything went black.  
  
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The next night....  
  
The members of the order were sitting around the kitchen table silently. All of them in various states of restlessness, waiting for Dumbledore to appear with news.  
  
Molly Weasley was busy making everyone cups of tea. The twins were shooting nervous looks at each other. Other people sitting around the table were twiddling their thumbs, or staring aimlessly at the ceiling. The only 3 figures in the room that were completely still were sitting in a corner.  
  
Snape was sitting at the edge of the room, as if wanting to be able to make a quick getaway, and scowling at the two figures who had the nerve to intrude on his solitude.  
  
The figure in the middle was staring stonily and unblinkingly at the door, waiting for Dumbledore to enter. The third figure, was sitting with his head in his hands, his shoulders slumped in defeat. There was a great Black dog that was sitting next to the man, whimpering quietly, and constantly pawing him, trying to get some sort of reaction.  
  
After a few minutes like this, Snape shifted slightly and turned to the male companion.  
  
"Remus do cheer up, we aren't here for a funeral you know" he sneered.  
  
Remus' head shot up and he glared at Snape.  
  
"It might as well be" he hissed.  
  
"I think it's about time they enacted a policy like this" Snape continued, looking down at his fingers as if it were a trivial matter. "It's about time someone put you where you belong. It's probably the only good thing that Fudge has done the whole time he's been in office"  
  
At this statement, both the figures sitting close to him in the corner got to their feet. The dog growled menacingly at Snape.  
  
"Enough!" came a voice from the doorway. It was Dumbledore. The two figures sat down apprehensively, though still shooting looks of contempt at Snape. Everything was silent for a few moments as Dumbledore took his seat.  
  
"What did he say Albus?" Molly asked anxiously.  
  
Dumbledore sighed, and the hopes of everyone in the room dampened.  
  
"I'm afraid that he won't budge on this policy. He believes that it is the only way to ensure that Voldemort doesn't gain the same scale of army that he had during the last war" Dumbledore said. "What he doesn't seem to realise is that anyone who actually takes notice of this policy, is on our side and not Voldemort's"  
  
Dumbledore clasped his hands in front of him, deep in thought, as he let this news settle over the members of the order.  
  
"Are we sure Fudge isn't a deatheater himself?" Fred asked.  
  
"Yeah, he's done enough to help you-know-who. It's a possibility" George piped up.  
  
Snape snorted and the two twins glared at him.  
  
"Do you have something to add Severus?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
Snape rolled his eyes.  
  
"The Dark Lord doesn't chose followers on a whim. He choses followers that will give him a strategic advantage. Why would he both to recruit Fudge when Fudge is already playing into his hands?" Snape said.  
  
"Let's get back to the main point shall we?" Helsing said, looking a little annoyed. "What are we going to do now?"  
  
"There isn't much we can do, I'm afraid" Dumbledore said. "We can keep you safe, Alena, as long as no one finds out what you are. But then you have always been good at hiding your talents"  
  
She nodded slightly, and Dumbledore turned to Remus.  
  
"As for you Remus, because most of the wizarding community know that you are a werewolf, you only have two options. "You can either go and register at the ministry, in which case you wont be much aid to us except in planning and such, or you can remain here with our other fugitives" he said, with a small glimmer of the twinkle back in his blue eyes.  
  
Remus slumped in defeat, and put his head back down into his hands. Sirius, still in his dog form, whined and pawed to no effect. Helsing closed her eyes before speaking, as if what she had to say caused her great pain.  
  
"I'm afraid that I may have to withdraw the support of my kinsmen." She said, the looked up at Dumbledore. "I have no right to ask them to protect wizards that would have them live under these conditions. I will go back to the clans and give them a choice, but I doubt that most would be willing in light of these circumstances"  
  
Dumbledore nodded slowly.  
  
"Very well" he said. "You should go and ask them now"  
  
She nodded and headed out the door.  
  
The rest of the order slowly trailed out after all the other smaller matters were settled, leaving only Dumbledore and Snape.  
  
"Come Severus" Dumbledore said, getting up slowly. "I need to get back and see how Minerva is handling the school"  
  
With that, they silently left the kitchen also. 


	29. Chapter 29 Fighting in the Corridors

**Chapter 29 Fighting in the corridors**  
  
Harry felt like he was floating through a sea of welcoming darkness. He wasn't sure where he was or how long he had been there, but at the moment, he felt like he would be happy to stay here for the rest of his life. Suddenly he realised he was cold, and groaned in frustration.  
  
He heard a rustling of robes beside him and felt a cool hand against his forehead.  
  
"Wake up sleepy head" came a soft voice. He felt his eyes flicker open and blinked a few times to clear his vision. Everything was still dark, but there was the light of the moon shining in through the window. He realised suddenly that he was back in the dormitory, but he couldn't remember getting back here.  
  
He looked around to find whoever it was that had woken him up, and saw Megan staring down at him, looking worried.  
  
"What happened?" He asked, getting up slowly, then feeling a wave of dizziness that sent him back down to the mattress. A look of relief passed over Megan's face, but she hesitated before answering.  
  
"You passed out while we were up in the astronomy tower. I had to bring you back here" she said finally.  
  
"How did I pass out?" Harry asked, looking confused.  
  
Megan pursed her lips a little.  
  
"The crystals I showed you. They're really powerful. They can enhance any spells that you cast" she said, looking away again.  
  
Harry's eyes widened as he remembered hearing her mutter spells while they were there.  
  
"What did you do?" he demanded.  
  
"It was only a calming spell" she said quickly. I don't know why the spell was so strong. It's never been that strong when I tried it before"  
  
At that moment, Harry's stomach grumbled loudly. Megan's eyes widened.  
  
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "I should have brought you something to eat! I'm sorry"  
  
"What?" Harry asked, confused once again.  
  
"You've been asleep for so long, of course you'd be hungry" she muttered to herself as she picked up a cloak that was sitting on the edge of his bed and pulled it over her.  
  
It suddenly occurred to Harry that though it was obviously night-time, the other boys in weren't in the dorm.  
  
"Asleep for how long?" Harry asked, growing concerned. "What time is it?"  
  
Megan bit her lip.  
  
"It's dinner time" she said. "The others are already in the Great Hall. They tried to wake you, but I guess either the spell was too strong, or you really needed the sleep. Come on, they only left just before you woke up. If we leave now then we can make it"  
  
Harry followed silently, questions racing through his head too quickly for him to process, and making him even more confused. After they reached the Great Hall, he pushed them aside, deciding that he would figure things out another time. At present, the smell of food was too overpowering for him to be able to think straight anyway.  
  
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After the initial hubbub from his mysterious absence and reappearance had died down, Harry's life went back to normal. The days drew on without incident, as most of the students were more interested in discussing the upcoming quidditch match.  
  
Ron was taking his role as team captain very seriously, and even though Harry had barely any time to speak with Megan again because most of his free time had been spent on the quidditch pitch, and when he got back to the common room at night, she was no where to be found.  
  
Before he knew it, Friday had come. Harry, Ron and Hermione walked out of the transfiguration classroom and were on their way to lunch. The hallways were full of students speculating about the upcoming match between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. To avoid the crowds, they decided to walk a different way, and ended up in a deserted corridor.  
  
After a few minutes, Hermione looked around in confusion.  
  
"This can't be right" she said. "We should be passing the charms classroom, but it's nowhere in sight. I don't think I've ever been here before"  
  
Harry and Ron looked around and realised that she was right. They couldn't remember seeing this corridor before either.  
  
"I think we should go back" Ron said suddenly, turning and walking swiftly the opposite way. Hermione and Harry followed closely behind, but they ended up at a dead end. They looked around in confusion trying to find where they were, but there was nothing but stone walls around them.  
  
They were just about to start panicking when they heard a voice behind them.  
  
"Well if isn't Potty and the Mudblood" Malfoy drawled. "What are you doing down here? Oh, don't tell me, you're taking your pet weasel out for a walk are you?"  
  
The three of them spun around and saw Draco leaning against the wall with Crabbe and Goyle standing a little behind him.  
  
Harry and Hermione had to hold back Ron, who was red in the face and struggling to get to Malfoy.  
  
"Shove off Malfoy" Harry hissed.  
  
Malfoy smirked and walked closer, so that he and Harry were inches apart.  
  
"Are you going to make me Potter?" He jeered. "Or are you too chicken to do anything while your girlfriend isn't around to save your neck"  
  
Harry flushed red at this, and his grip loosened on Ron. Ron barged forwards towards Malfoy, but was intercepted by Goyle, who grabbed him in a vice grip. At a nod from Malfoy, Crabbe stood forward and grabbed Hermione, who struggled to get away.  
  
"Come on Potter" Draco said, pulling out his wand. "Let's go. Just you and me"  
  
Draco threw a curse, which Harry managed to dodge as he reached for his wand. He pointed it at Malfoy and was about to use the leg-locker charm when he heard a loud voice from down the corridor yell "expelliarmus". Both Harry's and Malfoy's wands flew through the air in the direction that the voice had come from, and both boys spun around to see who the owner was.  
  
Both boys quickly turned white as they stared into the angry eyes of Professor Helsing.  
  
"What is the meaning of this?" She yelled.  
  
"My friends and I were lost and I asked Potter for directions" Malfoy said quickly. "He and his friends tried to hex me, so we fought back"  
  
Professor Helsing narrowed her eyes as Malfoy explained, but quickly nodded afterwards. Harry was outraged.  
  
"That's not true!" He exclaimed.  
  
"Silence Mr Potter" she replied. "I have heard enough. Go straight to my office please"  
  
Harry's jaw dropped. Hermione cut in at that point.  
  
"Please Professor, it wasn't Harry's fault. It was..."  
  
"I've heard enough from you Miss Granger" Professor Helsing said, putting a hand to her face for a moment.  
  
"15 points from each of you for fighting in the corridors. Mr Potter, please go straight to my office and wait for me there. The rest of you can go straight to the Great Hall, except for Mr Malfoy. You shall accompany me to the headmaster to inform him of this event" She said quietly, then quickly walked further down the hall.  
  
Hermione and Ron gave Harry a sympathetic look before they walked after Professor Helsing, who was quickly striding towards the brick wall, then disappeared straight though it. Crabbe and Goyle followed, with Malfoy going last. As he walked out through the wall, he smirked at Harry.  
  
Harry felt the anger rising up inside him. He stormed towards Helsing's office, the air crackling around him with the unharnessed magic he was releasing. He entered Professor Helsing's office and flung himself down into a chair. 


	30. Chapter 30 New Timetables

**Chapter 30 – New Timetables  
**  
Harry grumbled to himself as he kicked the desk in Helsing's office for the tenth time that evening. He had been waiting there for nearly an hour and Helsing still hadn't turned up. He was just about to kick the table again when the door flew open and Professor Helsing strode inside.  
  
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting so long Mr Potter, but you really don't have to take it out on my furniture" She said as she hurried over to her desk, flicking her hand towards the door to close it.  
  
Harry gasped as he realised that she didn't have a wand, but she didn't seem to notice as she went on.  
  
"You have missed dinner in the Great Hall with your friends, but I'm afraid it couldn't be avoided. I had hoped that we would be finished here in time for you to attend, but there was an incident that required my immediate attention." she said, as she scanned through a pile of papers on her desk.  
  
She took one out and looked at it carefully for a moment before putting it on the desk in front of her and looking back at him.  
  
"What would you like to drink?" She asked suddenly. "Tea? Pumpkin Juice?"  
  
Harry frowned, wondering at her strange behaviour.  
  
"Pumpkin Juice please" he replied cautiously.  
  
She picked up her wand, and with a flick, a goblet of juice and a mug of hot tea appeared on the desk in front of them. She picked up the tea in both hands and took a sip without saying a word. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply before setting the cup down and looking at him again.  
  
"You know, I haven't poisoned your drink" she said. "But if you are worried, I can show you a spell that you can do to check"  
  
She waved her wand and a glass of water appeared.  
  
"Now run your wand along like this" she said, indicating a simple wand movement. "And say 'destralius' while picturing in your mind exactly what the glass should contain"  
  
Harry picked up his wand hesitantly. He looked up at her. She was watching him curiously. He cleared his throat and did as she said. A small blue spark came out of his wand, but nothing else happened. He frowned, sure that he had gotten it wrong, but when he looked up again, she was smiling.  
  
"Excellent Mr Potter" She said. "The blue spark indicates that the liquid has not been tampered with"  
  
She got up and went over to her cupboard, pulling out a small vial and walked back to the desk. She unstoppered the vial and poured the contents into the water. Harry watched amazed as the water went dark blue, then turned back to being clear.  
  
"Now try again" she instructed.  
  
He did as she said, a little more confidently this time. A red spark appeared instead of a blue one.  
  
"The red spark indicates that there is a toxic liquid mixed in with the water" she explained. "If you had encountered a green spark then it would indicate that there was an unharmful substance in the water"  
  
With a wave of her wand, the glass disappeared.  
  
"Now, drink up" she said, indicating the goblet of pumpkin juice in front of him. "We have business to attend to"  
  
Harry straightened in his chair, taking a small sip of the juice and giving her his full attention. She looked at him calculatingly for a moment.  
  
"First of all, you will be happy to hear that Mr. Malfoy is being dealt with as we speak. As Professor Snape loathes me, I am sure that Mr Malfoy will enjoy many nights of detention with our lovely potions master" she said with a smirk.  
  
Harry's jaw dropped.  
  
"What?" He asked, wondering if he had heard right.  
  
"Please don't tell me, Mr Potter, that you thought I was gullible enough to believe the story that Mr Malfoy fed me. It is an insult to my intelligence. That aside, you were also in the wrong, but I am willing to overlook your transgression this time. However, if I catch you out of bounds again, or engaging in a duel with another student in the corridor, you can be sure that Gryffindor will not be winning the house cup this year" she said, giving him a glare that left him with no doubts that she was serious.  
  
Harry gave a slight nod to indicate that he understood.  
  
"Now then, before I was interrupted by that little duelling match, I was actually on my way to see you" She said, picking up a piece of parchment, then looking over to him.  
  
"You will no doubt be aware that the sixth years have not yet received their permanent timetable?" Professor Helsing said.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
After leaving Professor Helsing's office, Harry was so tired he felt like lead had replaced all of his muscles. He wasn't sure how he managed to get back to the portrait hole without falling over. He whispered the password and dragged himself through the hole to the common room, only to find Ron and Hermione nervously pacing. He suppressed a groan as they raced over to him. He loved his friends and all, but right now all he wanted to do was to go to bed.  
  
"What happened?" Hermione demanded. "It's after curfew!"  
  
"Oh shut up Hermione" Ron said. "Did you get detention? Was it awful?"  
  
"Ron! How can you say that! Harry could have gotten into more trouble for being out late! What if he'd been caught by Professor Snape?"  
  
"It's so unfair that you got into trouble instead of Malfoy Harry. When I see him next I'll hex him" Ron said, seeming not to have heard Hermione.  
  
"You will do no such thing Ronald Weasley, you are a prefect! You are supposed to be setting an example" Hermione replied.  
  
"Malfoy is a prefect too Hermione, but he doesn't seem to be showing much of an example does he? Attacking people in the corridors" Ron retorted.  
  
"Two wrongs don't make a right Ron" Hermione snapped. "You of all people..."  
  
"ENOUGH!" Harry yelled. Hermione and Ron stopped their bickering and stared at him, open mouthed. Harry breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed his temples for a moment before speaking again.  
  
"I didn't get into any trouble Ron, Professor Helsing needed to speak with me that's all. Malfoy got into trouble already, but I'm not sure how much because Snape was in charge of that. Hermione, I have a note from Professor Helsing for being out after curfew because we were discussing the DA and it took a bit longer than expected. Now if you'll both excuse me, I'm going to bed"  
  
With that, Harry dragged himself up the stairs leaving two astonished Gryffindors behind him.  
  
The next morning at breakfast, Ron and Hermione were adamantly ignoring Harry. Harry sighed as he picked up a slice of toast. He figured that he should probably apologise for being so short with them the night before. They had only been worried about him after all. He didn't have much time to reflect on this though, as at that moment, the quidditch team players had all jumped up and were heading towards the door to the Hall. Harry glanced over at Hermione and Ron, who were also heading towards the door, but refused to even look at him. Harry sighed. He put down his toast and went to join with the others that were heading out of the hall. 


	31. Chapter 31 Quidditch, Quidditch, Quiddit...

**Chapter 31 – Quidditch, quidditch, quidditch.  
**

Harry stared out the window of the change rooms at the growing crowd outside. It was a dull day and looked like it would start raining at some point. He snorted with laughter for a moment. It was just typical. Even the rain was sympathising with his mood at the moment. His stomach gave a loud gurgle and he suddenly wished that he had eaten something at breakfast instead of moping. He could hear the cheers and screams of the crowd already. There would be no chance of anything to eat before the match. He sighed, putting his head in his hands.  
  
"My, don't you look happy this morning" a cheerful voice whispered in his ear. His head shot up and he found himself gazing into Megan's dark, grey eyes.  
  
He forced a smile, but it soon faltered and he gave up. She tutted and sat beside him.  
  
"I saw what happened with Ron and Hermione. Don't worry about it. They'll get over it" she said, rubbing a hand across his shoulder in consolation.  
  
He shrugged, and looked out the window again. The darkening sky had just begun to sprinkle rain. His stomach rumbled loudly and he sighed harshly. Today really wasn't his day.  
  
Megan chuckled and he looked at her sharply. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a cauldron cake.  
  
"Can't have you falling off your broomstick now can we?" she said, winking. She handed him the cake, bent low to kiss him softly on the lips then headed towards the door. When she got to the doorway, she turned and smiled.  
  
"Good luck out there" she said, then turned and headed back out towards the stands. Harry looked over at the other side of the change rooms where Ron and the others had gathered and were discussing the game plan. He sighed once more, before biting into the cauldron cake and making his way over to the rest of the team. As he swallowed the first bite of cake, he felt a slight tingling sensation running through him.  
  
As Harry approached the team, they turned to look at him. Ron had been in the middle of talking and was annoyed that the attention had been taken away from him. He glared at Harry, but was startled when Harry grinned back.  
  
"Come on everybody" Harry exclaimed. "Let's get out there and kick 'em off their brooms!"  
  
Harry grinned manically as Ron turned bright red with anger.  
  
"In case you didn't notice Harry, I am the captain of the team and we are going through the game plan first" he said through gritted teeth.  
  
Harry waved his hand dismissively through the air.  
  
"Chasers chase, beaters beat, keepers keep, seekers seek. There's your game plan, now lets get out there" Harry said, flipping his broom over his shoulder and heading towards the door. Ron grabbed him just as he was about to go through.  
  
"What is the matter with you Harry?" he hissed. His eyes widened for a moment before he spoke again.  
  
"Are you drunk?" He asked, disgust evident in his voice.  
  
Harry snorted with laughter. "Course not Ron. You worry too much" he said, pulling Ron into a one handed hug, then marching outside, leaving the entire team wondering what on earth was going on, and Ron bright faced with anger.  
  
"Come on then" he said to the rest of the team, and scowled as he followed Harry outside.  
  
As Harry mounted his broom and took off into the air, an overwhelming feeling of joy overcame him. He remembered how he felt the first time he had flown a broomstick. The feeling that he had now was just as intense, and he through back his head and yelled as he directed his broom in a circle around the pitch.  
  
He was unaware of the looks he was receiving from the other players below him. Unaware of the teachers, who were frantically discussing his outburst and trying to figure out if he was under the imperious curse, and blissfully unaware of the chaos his outburst was causing for the students in the stands. All he could concentrate on was the wind flying through his hair, and the amazing feeling inside him.  
  
In the stands, Hermione, Ginny and Megan watched in amazement at Harry's antics.  
  
"What on Earth is he doing?" Hermione demanded.  
  
Ginny was speechless, but Megan replied softly.  
  
"He's flying"  
  
A small smile played on her lips as she watched him looping around the stands, yelling at the top of his lungs.  
  
Madame Hooch stepped up into the middle of the pitch and blew her whistle for the attention of the players. The Ravenclaws and Griffindors both came to a halt and the crowd hushed as the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor Captains shook hands. The whistle then blew again and they took off into the sky.  
  
From the stands, Ginny and Hermione were watching Harry intently, but he seemed to have calmed down from his previous episode and was searching for the snitch intently, with Cho Chang following a few metres behind.  
  
The game ended after only 15 minutes. Harry caught the snitch and the Gryffindors won 190 to 10. The Gryffindors in the stands cheered as the Gryffindor team flew back to the ground.  
  
Hermione, Ginny and Megan made their way out of the stands to congratulate their friends, but Megan stopped when she saw the Ravenclaw seeker swoop down on Harry and embrace him warmly.  
  
Hermione and Ginny continued on their way to Harry and Ron, embracing both warmly and chatting excitedly about the party that was to ensue. No one noticed as Megan slipped quietly back to the castle.  
  
The celebration in the common room lasted into the early hours of the morning, when both Hermione and Professor McGonagall demanded that the students retire for the night. Harry crawled into bed, feeling more tired than he had ever felt in his life, and fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. 


	32. Chapter 32 A time for Change

**Chapter 32 – A time for change**

****

The rest of the weekend flew by, and before he knew it, Harry was sitting down to breakfast in the Great Hall waiting for Monday's lessons to start.

He sat opposite Ron and Hermione, but neither of them were speaking to him this morning. Ron, because he was still angry at Harry and Hermione because she didn't want to set Ron off again, as when she had spoken to Harry after the match, Ron had gotten angry with her.

So Harry sat next to Neville and Seamus, who were discussing the properties of the mogamis lagamis plant, which apparently Seamus was having trouble understanding.

Harry sighed in boredom and looked around the hall. He noticed that Megan was once again absent from breakfast and realised that he hadn't seen her since before the quidditch match.

He didn't have much time to ponder this though, as Professor Dumbledore got up to make an announcement that the 6th years were to remain in the Great Hall after breakfast rather than going to their usual classes.

Hermione and Ron looked at each other apprehensively, unsure why they were not informed of this beforehand. Harry sighed resignedly as he pushed his bowl away from him and waited.

Slowly, the students from the other years tricked out of the hall until only the 6th years were left. The food disappeared from the tables and Professor Dumbledore stood, accompanied by Professor McGonagall and Professor Helsing.

The sixth years waited with baited breath as Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak.

"The reason that I have arranged for you all to be here, is that you will be receiving your finalised timetables this morning" Dumbledore said.

A rush of muffled conversation was heard until Dumbledore raised his hands again.

"Yes, yes I realise that this is quite a strange turn of events, but in light of recent events, it was necessary" He said gravely, looking over the crowd of faces staring at him questioningly.

"Some of you will have changed classes. Some of you may not be able to take the subjects that they were taking originally. I assure you all that you will be able to choose from a selection of courses in order to complete your Hogwarts education adequately. And if you should require any training in a particular area which you are not able to receive training from during our courses, I'm sure that any of the Hogwarts teachers will be happy to assist you, so long as you don't interrupt their schedules too much" he said, with a twinkle in his eyes.

Most of the students looked at each other in confusion, with the occasional student whispering something about him being insane in his old age.

"I will pass you now to Professor Helsing, who will read out 3 classes. If you could all come to the front when your name is called, you will receive your new timetables" Dumbledore said, and motioned for Helsing to stand in front of him.

She cleared her throat, then stood at the front of the hall and unrolled the parchment that she had clasped in her hand.

"Class number 1" she said, her voice ringing in the quiet hall.

Harry listened half-heartedly as she called out the names of students, and they each came up to the front to collect their timetables. He felt a cold shiver run down his spine as "Weasley, Ronald" was called out amongst those in the first group. He chanced a look at Ron and saw that Ron was furious about this. He stormed up to the front of the hall and snatched the parchment away from Professor McGonagall so roughly that the Professor had taken 2 points from Gryffindor as a result.

"Class number 2" Professor Helsing called out.

Harry listened in apprehension to the names that were called out. "Granger, Hermione" was one of them. He listened to the end and felt another chill as he realised that he was separated from both of his friends.

"Class Number 3" Professor Helsing called out.

As he listened to the names, he was hoping against all hope that he had been missed somehow. That the Professor had mistakenly skipped over his name in one of the first two classes, but he heard his name called out shortly after "Malfoy, Draco" and knew that there was no mistake. Harry took his parchment from Professor McGonagall as Professor Helsing rolled up the parchment and looked out at the three classes that had formed.

"You have been put into these classes in order to separate those students who will require only basic knowledge of their subjects and those who will no doubt require more... intrinsic training during their time at Hogwarts. You have been placed into these classes with utmost consideration of your knowledge, your capacity to learn, and your future need for such knowledge." She looked around the room, gauging the response to her little speech.

"Mostly, you will only notice the change in your defence classes, which is why it is I up here explaining these things to you, and not your deputy Headmistress. Class 2 will continue undertaking the current Defence curriculum. Class 3 will be taking advanced defence classes and will have a much fuller schedule than those in class 1 who will no longer be attending the Defence against the Dark Arts classes"

At this, a burst of noise was heard from the side of the hall where the first class was currently sitting. Most of the noise was caused by a certain redhead, whose skin matched his hair in his outrage.

Professor Helsing called for silence and the hall soon turned silent once again.

"While I can understand that those of you in Class 1 may be a little upset by this turn of events, we have placed a measure that will still allow you to learn defensive techniques. Although you will not be able to study DADA for your NEWTS, I am sure that some of you would be willing to participate in an outside of class group for Defence. It will be held in the Great Hall on Saturday mornings, and will be run alternately by the Professors, and by Mister Potter here" she said, indicating Harry. "who has proven himself to be a worthy teacher of sorts during your 5th year. If you have any questions regarding the running of this group, you should direct them to him. Are there any other questions?"

When no questions were forthcoming, the Headmaster told them all that they were able to spend the remainder of the first class of the day in free time, but were to follow their new timetables and attend the rest of the classes for the day. They were dismissed then, and walked out of the Hall quietly. Harry had lost sight of Ron and Hermione during the chaos, and rushed to the door of the Great Hall, hoping to catch up with them and discuss the new development.


	33. Authors Note

Ok here's the deal. I have been so busy lately that I just haven't had time to update, and the few chances that I get, I can't think of what to write next. So, to all you fans out there who are avidly awaiting the next chapter, here's what you can do to speed it along.

Think about everything that you would like to see happen in this story, no matter how strange or boring, exciting or dramatic, etc, etc. Write it down and send it to me either as an email or as a review. If I can get some ideas by Friday, then I will dedicate that day to writing the next _**THREE CHAPTERS**!_ To make up for the ones I've missed to a small degree….

Anyways, your help would be appreciated.

hugs everybody

Phoenix


	34. Chapter 33 Riff Raff part 1

**Author's note**: I know its short, but there's more coming over the course of the weekend, so don't panic. :P

**

* * *

**

Chapter 33 Riff Raff? (Part 1)

Harry put down his bag and slumped down into the desk in time for the next class. He hadn't managed to catch up with Hermione and Ron at all and was beginning to think they were avoiding him. He started when he heard someone put their bag down beside him.

"Hiya Harry." Neville said, glancing nervously around the room.

"I didn't know you were in this class Neville." Harry said, perking up a little.

At least he did have friends in this class.

"Yeah," Neville replied, still looking around the room. "There are only 3 Gryffindors in our class now. Guess we'd better stick together"

He gave a nervous chuckle and went about unpacking his things. Harry looked around the room at the other faces in the room. He could see Malfoy sitting with Zabini on the other side. Just in front of them sat two Hufflepuff girls who kept looking nervously behind them, as if expecting to be hexed by the two Slytherins. Behind the two Slytherins there were two boys, one each from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.

In front of Harry were three Ravenclaw girls who were not yet seated, and were talking and giggling with Pavarti Patil. Harry rolled his eyes at them before taking his own books out. He could hear the two Slytherins snickering and looked over at them.

"What are you looking at Potter," Malfoy spat.

"Absolutely nothing," Harry replied with a smirk.

Malfoy narrowed his eyes and walked over to the desk that Harry was sitting at. The entire class turned to watch.

"Is that the best you can come up with Potter. It seems as if the absence of the mudblood is making you dumber by the minute." Malfoy said with a smirk.

Zabini was laughing under his breath. The two Hufflepuff girls rolled their eyes and began fussing with their notes, while the others in the class continued to watch with baited breath.

"Then again," Malfoy continued. "She wouldn't fit in very well here would she?"

Harry looked around, confused.

"Oh don't tell me you didn't notice!" Malfoy exclaimed gleefully.

Zabini started laughing a little harder, as did Parvarti. The Ravenclaw girls looked scandalous.

"Oh but it's about time that they got rid of the riff-raff and chose only the higher society for the advanced classes. Of course, there are some exceptions…" Malfoy said, looking meaningfully at Neville, who looked down, embarrassed.

"What are you talking about Malfoy?" Harry said angrily, not wanting to be dragged into whatever game Malfoy had decided to play today.

"Oh nothing, just the absence of dirt from the class." Malfoy said innocently, wiping an invisible speck from his sleeve.

"How tastefully put." Came a voice from the door. They all turned and saw Professor Helsing leaning against the doorway, clapping lightly.

"Bravo" she said sarcastically.

Malfoy flushed slightly and the girls who had been standing watching the interaction scattered towards the nearest seats.


End file.
